


Redemption

by Windwalker57



Series: Kotor Epic [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 09:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15816438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windwalker57/pseuds/Windwalker57
Summary: Sarna and Yun Genda were common Sith troopers, until a Republic soldier stole their armor to sneak by a patrol. Punished for their failure and marked as expendable, they were given a second chance with an elite strike team. They swore to hunt down the man who ruined their lives, but everything would change during the assault on Dantooine... Sequel to 'Second Chances.' Complete.





	1. Taris Orbit, part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The characters appearing in this story are adapted from the excellent Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

"I think you'll do well here, Private Sarna," said Governor Varss. "This unit is understrength-they just lost four men."

Sarna's eyes widened in shock; Varss suddenly grabbed her arms and cuffed her again. He pushed her through the door into the barracks. Her cuffed hands made it impossible for Sarna to catch herself; she hit the deck hard and saw stars.

A hoarse, cruel voice spoke somewhere above her. "So, this is her, eh Rafi?"

"Yes," replied another, younger voice. "Sarna here got her uniform stolen by a spy who used it to kill Arnis' patrol." Rough hands flipped Sarna onto her back. Two soldiers were looking down at her. The tall man on the left was bald, with pale skin and grey eyes. A wicked pink-orange scar twisted from the corner of his mouth, across his cheek, and around the side of his head; his ear was completely gone. The second soldier was shorter and swarthy, with olive skin and black hair and eyes. He smiled cruelly. "Let's teach the bitch a lesson, Brent."

Sarna pushed with her feet, scrambling away on her back. The two soldiers laughed and easily kept up. The other soldiers in the room drifted over one by one to watch the show. Sarna continued backing up until she reached the wall. Brent leaned down to grab her and Sarna screamed. "NO! It's not my fault, they drugged me, don't hurt me, please!"

Brent grabbed her by the collar and hauled her upright. Sarna' uniform made a snapping sound as the material was stretched; the back of her neck chafed as her collar was pulled taut. Rafi punched her in the stomach and Sarna doubled over. Brent and Rafi each took an arm and frog-marched Sarna out of the barracks common room to one of the bunkrooms. Sarna looked up as she was forced through the door. What she saw made her heart sink. The sleeping quarters had two bunks on each side wall; on each pillow was a small medallion with the emblem of the 322nd Naval Infantry Regiment. A low table against the end wall held four pictures and a single white candle. Three men and one woman stared silently at Sarna from the photos; she felt their eyes accusing her.

Brent slapped her once, twice, three times across the face. Rafi punched her full-force and Sarna tasted blood. They threw her to the deck and the two troopers began kicking her in the ribs and legs. Sarna curled into a ball, trying to protect herself as best she could. More troopers came to join in the 'fun.' Someone grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the table.

"Look at them, bitch!" Brent grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. "Four good people are  _dead_  because you are a slut and a drunk!"

"Antur's MPs said she fucked the spy," said Rafi. "We should make sure she doesn't have to go looking for sex in cantinas anymore."

Sarna sobbed as someone started tearing at her uniform; many more hands joined the first and she was soon stripped bare. She was pushed onto her belly on the cold metal deck.

"Stop!" cried a voice she hadn't heard before. "Come on, Brent, she's had enough."

The scarred trooper sighed and nodded. Brent gestured, and the troopers brutalizing Sarna released her. "Enough for now, maybe," he said, giving her a kick, "but you'll take care of me later, whore."

Sarna nodded, eyes downcast. "Yes, sir."

The troopers dispersed. Sarna's entire body ached, her torso burned, and she could feel her face swelling. The trooper who had made them stop draped a sheet over her and helped her into the refresher. Sarna noticed that he was careful not to touch her anywhere but her hand and lower arm. She showered off; the trooper had left fresh underwear for her. When she came out into the bunkroom, he was waiting. He gestured to a bed; Sarna froze for a moment, then calmed when she saw that he had brought in a field medic's bag. She lay down and he went to work.

He misted her bruises with analgesic spray, then dabbed at her split lip. He swept Sarna with a hand-held medical scanner. "Those animals did more damage here than I thought. You have two broken ribs." He retrieved a spray injector from his bag and placed it against her right ribcage. A sting and hiss, and Sarna felt the pain recede behind a wave of icy cold.

"That should be that," said the soldier, "Anything left other than aches?"

"No, thank you," Sarna sat up. "I don't know who you are."

He smiled gently. "I'm Corporal Tash Moross, the platoon medic."

She nodded. "Thank you, Corporal. You've been very kind." She got up off the bed and knelt at the improvised memorial. "And… who were they?"

Tash got down beside her and pointed. "Sergeant Arnis Rool, Privates Val Nedjam and Zeak Rolands." His voice shook as he indicated the woman. "And Private First Class Naomi Kasra."

Sarna turned to Tash. "You knew her well?"

Tears rolled down his face. "We were engaged to be married."

Sarna's jaw dropped. "I'm so sorry."

He looked at her. "It's the spy's fault, not yours. You were just lonely on leave." He handed Sarna a clean set of utilities. She donned them and went to look in the mirror. She was a sight; bruises were blooming on her face and neck. Sarna began crying again. "I'm sorry, Sarna," said Tash.

She shook her head. "It isn't that, it's seeing myself in a private's uniform again. My father was so proud when I made junior officer; it'll kill him to hear what I've done."

Tash reached for her shoulder, then caught himself. "You can work your way up again. The Colonel spared you so that you can make up for your mistakes." He pointed to the memorial. "You owe it to them to make this right." Sarna nodded.

"Now, about your duties," continued Tash. "I drew the detail of looking after you while you get settled in to the platoon. Technically, you've been assigned to the headquarters squad as an aide. Practically, you are under house arrest in the barracks. You will be doing all the cleaning around here. Your skills as an armory tech will be put to use; you'll maintain the troopers' weapons and armor." Tash paused. "Now, if the troopers come after you again…" He looked embarrassed and uneasy. "I will do everything I can to protect you, but I'm a corporal; Brent is a sergeant and squad leader. The best advice I can give you is do your jobs well and don't let yourself be alone with Brent or Rafi."

"Because if I do, I'll probably get another beating, or worse," Sarna finished dully.

Tash stared at the floor. "That's about the size of it. They shouldn't mistreat you like they have, it isn't right, but there's only so much I can do." He met Sarna's gaze. "Please, don't think too badly of Brent. He and Sergeant Rool were friends; they served together since the start of the Mandalorian Wars. He's taking this hard."

Sarna pursed her lips. "He needs someone to blame."

Tash nodded. "He'll probably lay off when we catch the spy. In the meantime, show that you're sorry, that you want to keep your head down and they should go easier on you."

* * *

 

They didn't. Sarna was awake eighteen to twenty hours a day maintaining equipment and cleaning the barracks. The Sith soldiers delighted in spilling their drinks or dropping trash on the floor to give her more work to do. One of her duties was to replace the candle in the memorial twice a day, just as a reminder. She slept in a bedroll on the cold metal floor between the empty bunks, with the faces of the dead staring down at her. Brent and Rafi were especially cruel, and she couldn't avoid them while restricted to the barracks. They cornered her twice while Tash was on duty in the medical bay. The first time, there were several other troopers around; they made her kneel at the memorial and beg forgiveness. The second time, there was no one else around. They beat her bloody and Tash patched her up. Intelligence officers had debriefed her thoroughly on her meeting with the fugitives. She had been able to help them create fairly accurate holos of the two men. Sarna lived every moment in hope of hearing that Jace and Onat had been captured, but they eluded the Sith dragnet. Days went by, and the abuse did not stop, or even let up.

On the evening of the fourth day, Tash tapped her on the shoulder. "Come with me, Sarna. Antur wants to see you."

Sarna felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head. "Oh, gods." She was overwhelmed by the memory of Antur, arm upraised, about to order the firing squad to shoot.

She followed the medic out of the barracks and down the corridor. She was relieved when he turned away from the turbolift, which led down to the detention block where she had nearly been executed. The pair stayed within the battalion living area on the  _Leviathan_ 's command deck. Tash led her into an office where Antur waited behind a desk. Sarna noticed that he was now a major. She came to attention and saluted; she couldn't keep her voice from shaking. "Private Sarna reporting as ordered, sir."

Antur did not look up. "At ease, Private. Corporal, close the door." Tash entered and shut the door behind him.

Sarna struggled to control her fear.  _What does he want? Am I being punished further?_

Antur finished typing and glanced up at her. "Do you remember Colonel Tallek Varss?"

She nodded. "The Provincial Governor of Taris, sir; he spared me from execution. I'll never forget his kindness."  _I hope that's the right thing to say._

"He's dead," Antur said bluntly. "The spies who infiltrated your party managed to rendezvous with a fugitive Jedi. They attacked the base compound in the Upper City with several locals, we believe hired criminals. We don't yet know what they were after. Colonel Varss was killed, along with another fifteen members of the occupation force. The commander of Third Battalion has moved up to replace him as commander of the 322nd, and I have taken over as Third Battalion commander."

Sarna lost her balance and had to catch herself on the wall.  _I'm dead._  She wanted to be brave, but her voice quavered as she asked the inevitable question. "When am I being put to death?"

Antur grimaced. "You aren't going to be executed, Private." He pointed at Tash. "Corporal Moross recently told me what your platoon has been doing to you. Your ordered punishment was demotion and hard labor. Sergeant Brent and his men were  _expressly forbidden_  from abusing you. Sarna, you've suffered enough."

Sarna swayed with relief. She turned to the medic. "Thank you, Tash." He nodded and smiled.

Antur steepled his fingers. "Now, Sarna, I'm transferring you from B Company to C Company. You are being returned to the infantry. Specialist Genda has been serving there with distinction. Corporal Moross is going to be transferred with you, in case the members of your platoon try to retaliate for his reporting them." Antur stood. "I have a request. You have every right to report members of your platoon for the beatings. I ask that you do not. We cannot afford to put a dozen or more troopers in the brig during this mission; we're stretched thin as it is."

Sarna recognized the quid pro quo for what it was. "I'm willing to let it go, Major-as long as they don't touch me again."

Antur nodded. "Thank you, Private. You have my sincere apologies for what they did to you; I am frankly embarrassed at the ill-discipline they showed. I will personally… admonish them." He rubbed his cheek. "I apologize for myself, too. I should never have tried to have you executed; my temper got the better of me. You made a bad mistake, but you didn't deserve to die."

Sarna nodded. "Apology accepted, sir, and thank you."

Antur sat back behind his desk. "Right. If Brent or the others make more trouble, tell me." He handed over two data cards. "Your transfer orders to C Company-dismissed." Sarna and Tash saluted and left the office. They headed back to the B Company barracks and loaded their footlockers onto a repulsor pallet. The walk to their new quarters took only a few minutes.

Yun was waiting to help them unpack. He looked at Sarna with concern. "I've heard. Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "I can't complain; I'm alive. That will do for now."

Yun nodded and turned to the medic. "Thank you for helping her, Corporal." The two men shook hands.

Sarna was issued armor and an assault carbine for her new role. Yun carried a blaster rifle; he was still mourning the loss of the sniper rifle the spies had stolen. "Why didn't you draw another from the regimental armory?" Sarna asked.

Yun shook his head. "That wasn't an issue rifle. It was my grandfather's, from the Exar Kun War. He was a marksman during the Krath Crusade. I was a policeman before I joined up; I carried that rifle as a hostage-rescue sniper in Curamelle, on Corulag." Yun frowned. "I'm not sure what he would think about me joining the Sith, but I just don't see the Jedi serving the Republic anymore. Too many of my friends died while the Jedi sat on their hands."

Tash clapped him on the shoulder. "We're helping people-bringing order to the Rim. The Jedi abandoned the troopers of the Republic to the Mandalorian invasion, all but the ones who came with Revan and Malak to save us. The dark side gave them the strength to save billions, and the Jedi punished them!" The medic spat. "That's what I think of their opinion. There are dozens of worlds being crushed by the Hutts and Exchange from the outside and the rich families of the Core on the inside. Nobody but us is looking out for the common people."

Yun shrugged. "I suppose that's true; it's above my pay grade, anyway."

Sarna smiled uncomfortably. "We don't want to rock the boat, we're just new. This is my first assignment on the Republic front; I spent the last two years hunting pirates."

Tash smiled thinly. "As you've learned, the Republic military is a different breed."

A loud klaxon wailed; the three donned their armor and ran to the common room to await assignment. They watched out the windows as fighters were launched from the combat wing in the ventral hull section. The  _Leviathan_  shuddered as her main batteries began firing. A wave of shuttles took off from the fleet and headed for the planet.

"What the blazes?" said Sarna, "They didn't send us to the shuttles! Why are they launching without troops on board?"

Major Antur ran into the room. "Sarna, Yun, I thought you should know. The two Republic soldiers who tricked you were no ordinary troopers. The Jedi who led them in the attack on our base was just identified. She's the Most Wanted, Bastila Shan."

Yun gasped. "The Battle Maiden."

Tash turned to Sarna. "You two are lucky to be alive. The soldiers escorting Shan will be Republic special forces."

Antur nodded. "I've just come from a staff meeting with Admiral Karath. Darth Malak just gave the order for a full planetary bombardment. The Dark Lord wanted to capture her, but Shan is too dangerous to risk her getting off the planet alive." He grimaced. "Governor Varss had a copy of the fleet transponder codes. We must assume Shan got them from the base. If she can get to a ship, she can nullify the auto-targeting quad cannon and escape." He frowned. "The bombardment is starting with most of the regiment still on the surface. They're sending transports to extract as many of our troops as possible, but they cannot wait."

Tash looked down. "The shuttles will never be able to get them all out. We're going to lose a lot of good people."

Antur's datapad beeped; he looked down at it for a moment, then smiled worriedly. "Shan was spotted leaving the Upper City in an airspeeder; this ship is moving to stationary orbit above that sector."

Yun turned to Sarna and grinned. "If Onat and Jace take off, they'll be coming right to us. We might get a shot at them yet!" Sarna cracked her knuckles and nodded.

"Whoa, there," said Tash, "Shan is out of our league."

Antur nodded. "Third Battalion is all back on board. If it comes to a fight, we will be the boarding party; Darth Bandon will lead, as he did when we engaged the Republic task force." He thought a moment, then smiled. "With Shan among the enemy forces, we might see Lord Malak himself take the field."

Tash chuckled. "A full-on duel between Malak and the Maiden? I'd pay to see that… from far away."

Antur's comlink chirped; he listened for a moment, concern growing on his face. He straightened up, and nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll get a team in there double quick. I won't let you down, Admiral." He cut the comm and turned to Sarna. "I have a mission for you two. It is beyond risky, and quite frankly I'm considering you expendable."

She shrugged. "I'm up for it, Major. What's the mission?"

Antur's mouth thinned. "Someone just contacted the  _Leviathan_  on an enciphered channel. They claim to have information on Bastila Shan, including her location. They want to trade that intel for rescue from the bombardment." He rubbed his hands together nervously. "The voice on the radio was male; the asset is in the estate of Davik Kang, a known member of the Exchange. The compound is along Shan's last known flight path, so the source is classed as credible. Admiral Karath has been ordered not to stop the bombardment, in case Shan is still in the area."

Yun swallowed hard. "You want us to fly into the compound and get them out while the fleet is still firing."

Antur nodded. "The informant may know where Shan is, or where she's going if she escaped."

Tash stood. "I'm coming with you."

Sarna looked at him. "You don't have to do this. We failed, Tash, not you."

He smiled gently. "I want you to redeem yourself, Sarna. And I don't want to have lost Naomi and the others in vain."

Sarna grabbed his hand. "Then let's go."

They made their way to the assault deck, between the two main hull sections. The shuttles were returning from the surface; they had stuffed themselves to bursting to pull most of the 322nd off Taris. Those who remained were seeking shelter in the Lower City and various military facilities. With luck, they might survive, but they would be trapped underground as the Upper City spires fell. Sarna, Yun and Tash were assigned a medevac shuttle, in case the contact was injured. They lifted off the hangar bay floor and headed for Davik's estate. The shuttle descended towards the surface as thousands of blaster bolts rained down from above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I would need to explain why Sarna and Yun defected in more detail. This is that story. Please, let me know how you like it!


	2. Taris Orbit, part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This world and its characters belong to BioWare and Lucasarts.

The building complex came into view on a mountain above the Upper City, near the ocean. As they approached, a black dot appeared and climbed away. Sarna raised a pair of macrobinoculars to her eyes and keyed the radio. "Major, a ship just launched from our objective; it appears to be a  _Dynamic_ -class light freighter. Should we pursue?"

"No, stay on mission," replied Antur. "Fighters will intercept your runner." Sarna acknowledged and looked back down at the estate. Blaster fire was hitting the compound hard.

Yun Genda checked the signal tracker. "Major," he asked, "can you stop the bombardment in the immediate area of our contact? They're in the hangar that ship just took off from." Antur acknowledged and went off the air for a moment. The blaster fire stopped in a small circle around the hangar.

"Thank you, sir," called Tash. The shuttle pilot brought them carefully into the collapsing docking bay. He remained with the shuttle; Sarna and Tash followed Yun down the ramp and into the wrecked building. Large sections of the roof had been blasted in, fires were burning all over. Nearly a dozen bodies were scattered across the floor and the walls were marred by carbon scoring.

"Look at this; there was a firefight here," said Sarna.

"I can top that," Tash replied. "Look down here."

He was pointing to a pair of dead bodies holding vibroblades. There were several straight grooves newly cut into the duracrete floor near the corpses. There was not a speck of dust in or near the grooves. Tash and Sarna's eyes met.

"Lightsaber," said Sarna.

Tash nodded and thumbed his comlink. "Major, we have found evidence that there was a Jedi here, though we cannot confirm it was Bastila Shan. It appears that she left aboard the freighter we saw taking off."

"Understood," came the response from Antur. "That ship was able to destroy several fighters and an escort vessel and jump to hyperspace. It is imperative that you find the package and get him up here."

The hangar groaned; metal struts creaked and popped. "I'm thinking that this structure is not entirely stable," said Yun sarcastically. "Let's find this guy and get off this rock before the fleet blasts it to slag." He began sweeping a scanner over the wreckage. They followed the signal, weaving between the wreckage and avoiding fires. Tash pulled his portable medical computer and followed, scanning for life signs. Yun's tracker pinged; he followed it quickly to a twisted pile of metal struts: part of the roof which had fallen in.

Tash concentrated on his readings. "I have a life sign, human; it's quite weak. He's under here!" The three began lifting pieces of debris out of the way.

"I see him!" cried Sarna. A pair of legs was sticking out of the pile. Sarna and Yun grabbed a metal strut and levered a large section of roof out of the way. Tash ducked under it and dragged the man out. He was unconscious and bleeding badly from gashes to his chest and legs. The signal was coming from his wrist comlink. Tash tapped a command into his computer and a repulsor stretcher hovered out of the shuttle. The three loaded the man and began walking back to the ship.

A loud crack split the air, and a section of burning wreckage fell on Sarna. She screamed as she was pinned to the floor. She fought panic as she felt flames licking at her feet. Tash and Yun both spun around. Tash hesitated, looking between Sarna and the man on the stretcher, then kept going. Yun ran back to help.

Sarna was trying to struggle free, but the pile was much too heavy. Yun knelt down and tried to shift it. She smiled sadly. "The hangar is collapsing, Yun. We're out of time."

He shook his head. "I'm not leaving you!"

Sarna looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Yun, please, I don't want you to be hurt or killed for me. I'm begging you, save yourself."

He glared down at her. "Not a chance! I'll lie down next to you before I abandon a fellow trooper." He ran around the wreckage. "That's it!" A piece of rebar was sticking out of a duracrete block. It glowed a dull red. Yun tore off his uniform tunic and wrapped it around his hands. He grabbed the bar and strained; a horrible hissing sound rose from the improvised gloves. Yun roared and the pile shifted. Sarna drew up her knees and braced her feet against the wreckage. She shoved and began to lift the debris. Yun let go of the bar and grabbed her shoulders, dragging her free.

Sarna scrambled to her feet and they both sprinted to the shuttle. It lifted off, pivoted in midair, and glided out from under the burning roof. The ramp dropped, pointing straight at them. Sarna and Yun ran for their lives. Yun stumbled and fell. His hands were charred and he was going into shock; Sarna pulled him to the edge of the ramp. Tash bounded out of the shuttle and the two of them got Yun aboard. Tash had stabilized the informant, who wore a blue jacket and white turban. A large pistol was holstered on each hip. Tash applied kolto bandages to Yun's badly burned hands. Yun turned to Sarna and snarled. "Don't ever give up on me again!"

She nodded numbly. "Thank you, Yun. I thought I was dead for sure."

Tash shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sarna. I had to put the mission first."

"You want to apologize? Buy me a drink, next shore leave." She smiled faintly. "I sure as hell need one."

The shuttle pitched nose-up and picked up speed as the hangar fell in with a loud roar. Tash strapped into the right seat as they climbed away from Davik's estate. "Major Antur, this is Corporal Moross, mission accomplished. Privates Sarna and Genda have non-life-threatening injuries, but the asset is badly wounded. I'll need a trauma team and kolto tank ready in the hangar."

"You've got it," Antur replied. "Excellent work, you three." The shuttle landed safely aboard the  _Leviathan_.

* * *

 

The Republic fugitives had escaped cleanly; more than a third of the regiment had died on Taris, either killed hunting fugitives or left behind during the bombardment. Sarna and Yun learned that the man they had rescued was Calo Nord, an infamous bounty hunter. Once Nord recovered, Admiral Karath debriefed him personally. Antur was not privy to the intelligence that had been gained. The scuttlebutt was that the Admiral was greatly excited by what he had learned. Darth Malak left the  _Leviathan_ ; no one but the Admiral knew where he had gone. Two days later, Nord left as well; he and a group of Dark Jedi boarded a hyperdrive-equipped picket and jumped away. Sarna heard rumors that he had been hired to go after Bastila Shan. She hoped that the hunter would catch Jace as well.

Meanwhile, something big was brewing. The fleet remained in orbit over Taris; more ships were arriving daily. A large transport arrived; it carried replacement troopers to bring the 322nd back to full unit strength. More warships arrived, carrying two more regiments composed entirely of combat droids. The complete task force included five cruisers, thirteen destroyers and frigates, and nearly six hundred fighters, bombers, and picket ships. The ground force had armored vehicles along with an entire division of human and droid troops and a large number of Dark Jedi. Even so, the fleet was not nearly large enough to attack the Core, or even a well-defended world on the Rim. No one knew their destination for certain, but rumors spread, as they usually did before a major operation. The word that kept coming up was 'Academy.' Everyone believed they were preparing to attack a Jedi training ground. Gossip kept them all apprised of current events. Given Calo Nord's reputation, Sarna was shocked to learn that Shan and her followers had killed the bounty hunter and the Dark Jedi who had gone with him.

About a month after the mission to Taris, Major Antur called Sarna and Yun into his office. Antur clapped his hands together. "I am restoring part of your rank." He handed them new insignia pins. "You are both promoted to private, first class. Now, you've both shown skill at handling difficult and dangerous assignments. I've been ordered to make several good troopers ready for another special mission. They haven't told me what yet, but my guess is you'll be back-up for the apprentices who will be facing Jedi."

Yun grinned. "So the scuttlebutt is accurate?"

Antur smiled and nodded. "It usually is. I still don't know exactly where we are headed, but you are going to special training alongside Sith apprentices. I'm sending you two and Tash, along with about ten more of my best troopers." He cocked his head at Sarna. "That includes Brent and Rafi, but you won't be in the same squad, and you keep your current living arrangements. They've been warned to stay away from you." His expression turned grave. "You should save all your worry for your training. Working with Dark Jedi is dangerous for those without the Force; they see us as inferior beings. If you do not perform to their liking, you may well be killed."

Yun swallowed hard; Sarna nodded. "I know the penalty if I fail the Sith again."

Major Antur shook hands. "Good luck with your new assignment-you  _will_ need it."

* * *

 

Sarna, Yun, and Tash joined about two hundred troopers drawn from the entire regiment in the new special unit. With them were thirty or so Dark Jedi apprentices. The entire group was assembled in ranks in a hangar bay to be addressed by their new commander.

Several high-ranking Sith stood on a raised platform; a bald man in black armor stepped forward. "I am Darth Bandon, apprentice to the Dark Lord Malak. You have been chosen because you are the best troopers in the 322nd Regiment. In recent months, the Sith have taken increasing losses from Republic composite units, Jedi fighting alongside soldiers in coordinated teams. You will form the first such Sith unit. We will use their own tactics, modified by the superior Sith Way, to bring the Republic to its knees. Lord Malak intended me to lead this unit into battle, but the situation has changed." He began pacing. "By now, you have no doubt heard that this fleet nearly caught the Jedi Bastila Shan on Taris. You have also heard that she killed the bounty hunter that Lord Malak set on her trail. Now, the Dark Lord has chosen to make her my prey, Battle Meditation or no."

Bandon gestured to the Sith Masters standing behind him. "I leave your training to my second, Master Aramil Vinjagga, and his apprentice, Kaiya Turnell." Bandon left the stage with several Sith; they strode out of the hangar bay. Two Dark Jedi stepped up. Master Aramil was some type of near-human, with deathly pale skin and green-black hair. His tall, heavily muscled frame was squeezed into silvery battle armor and his eyes were such a vivid green they nearly glowed-or perhaps they did glow. Kaiya, on the other hand, looked boringly normal; she was a human woman wearing a grey jumpsuit and black hood. She was neither beautiful nor homely, with brown hair and eyes. It was her bearing and expression that marked her; she radiated intense confidence and pride.

Aramil clasped his hands behind his back and studied the assembled Sith. "Starting tomorrow morning, you will be training here as Sith apprentices do. We will fight in mixed groups, developing tactics to defeat the Jedi and their Republic allies. Only the best of you will serve in the Special Assault Unit being formed here." He smiled coldly. "How will we pick the best? You'll be the only ones left. This training will include sparring with live weapons."

Sarna and the others began training with desperate intensity; their survival depended on it. With their new role came new weapons: cortosis-plated blasters with vibroblade bayonets. Kaiya was their chief instructor, and she was vicious. She often choked or shocked troopers who failed to meet the rigorous expectations of the training program. The trio learned fast, or at least faster than most. Yun's marksmanship lent itself to fighting from a distance with a long rifle; his aim was so precise he could score hits past lightsaber deflection. Sarna and Tash fought from closer in, using their carbines in both ranged and hand-to-hand combat. The practice combat was brutal; many troopers were killed or wounded.

Sarna and Yun were some of the last to be sent into a live-fire exercise. In their first engagement, their squad and a pair of apprentices were ordered to defeat two Dark Jedi Masters-any way they could. The Dark Jedi waited in the center of the floor; crates and equipment had been scattered around as obstacles and cover. Sarna looked around the group before they made their attack. "Does anyone have ideas as to how we do this?"

One of the apprentices sneered at her. "You stay out of the way, fool! We wield the Force, and we don't need help from puny common beings. We will fight, and the strongest will prevail, as it should be." The two apprentices flicked on their lightsabers and charged.

"NO!" cried Yun, "We need a plan!" It was too late. One Sith Master took on both apprentices with a double-bladed lightsaber. The second leapt over them all and struck the apprentices down from behind.

Both Masters cackled maniacally. "Come, insects!" one called mockingly, "It is time to die."

Sarna's mind raced. This was not training anymore; it was survival, plain and simple. She and the other troopers of her squad huddled behind a large cargo container. "We need to surround them. Lightsabers can block blaster shots, but not from every side. Where are the repeater gunners?" Two troopers raised their hands. "Right. One trooper goes with each of you. Split left and right and suppress them. Yun, take two; move cover to cover and head all the way around the back."

Yun shook his head. "That leaves you alone in front of them-one or both of them will charge you and break out of the circle."

Sarna grinned. "I know-I'll be waiting with this." She held up a concussion grenade. "They don't have helmets, so they have no flash or noise protection. Once the 'banger goes off, Yun and the repeater gunners focus on whichever Sith is less affected by the blast. The rest of you will rush the weaker Master with me, bayonets out." She took a breath. "These Dark Jedi care nothing for those without the Force. They think we're just bugs to squash. They don't take us seriously, and they're going to pay for it."

The troopers moved to the edges of their hiding place. Sarna leaned out and fired; the Sith deflected the bolts easily. The squad dashed in both directions in a double envelopment. They crouched behind any available cover as the Sith Masters unleashed a barrage of Force lightning. One trooper following Yun didn't make it in time and the dark energy struck home. The woman jerked, stumbled and fell. One of the Sith Masters shot out an arm and caught the hapless trooper in a Force grip before she could get to cover. She screamed and clawed at the deck as the Dark Jedi pulled her in, laughing cruelly. He slashed down and cut her in half. Yun leaned out and put a rifle shot into the Master's side. He howled in pain and threw lightning again; Yun scrambled behind a crate and readied his blaster.

Sarna bared her teeth. "Let's fuck 'em up,  _right now_!" The troopers began firing. The Dark Jedi were forced back to back deflecting shots from all sides. The fire was too intense for them to concentrate and counterattack, but Sarna knew it could not last. The Sith with the double-blade moved slightly to take the fire of both repeater gunners. This took the pressure off the Sith that Yun had injured. He noted the weaker fire coming from Sarna's direction and made his move. He blasted away with more electricity, forcing her behind the container. The Sith charged and lifted the container, leaving Sarna without cover. She fired as he advanced, backing up slightly. He deflected her shots easily and raised his lightsaber to finish her. Sarna flipped the grenade into his face. The Sith Master cried out as it detonated. The flash and concussion stunned Sarna as well. She couldn't see, and her ears were ringing; she heard a loud crash and a gurgling scream, followed by a howl of rage from the other Dark Jedi. She blinked and her vision began to clear. She looked down to see blood splattered across the deck: the Master had dropped the two-ton cargo box on himself when the concussion stunned him. Sarna shook off the after-effects of the blast and looked out from behind the container.

The remaining Sith was completely on the defensive. He was spinning in place, batting blaster shots back at the shooters and dodging the streams of fire from the repeaters. Sarna broke cover and moved in; several other troopers followed her lead. With only the repeaters to contend with, the Master was free to come out swinging. The troopers switched to bayonet fighting and went toe-to toe with the Sith Master. The Sith was a dangerous opponent even when at a disadvantage; three troopers were lightly injured, one lost an arm, and two were killed outright. Sarna ducked a slash and stabbed the Master in the thigh. He staggered and Sarna clubbed him with her carbine's folding stock. The rest of the squad swarmed in to finish him off. The watching Sith troopers whooped and cheered-this was the first clear win for troopers over the Force users.

Kaiya Turnell clapped approvingly from the observation platform and beckoned Sarna over. Sarna and Yun walked over to where she and Major Antur waited. The major was beaming, and the Dark Jedi had the tiniest of smiles. "Well done, Private."

"Thank you, uh, ma'am." Sarna saluted. "I apologize; I don't know the appropriate form of address."

Kaiya smiled more broadly. "You show proper respect, Private; I am not offended. As a senior apprentice, I hold the military rank of captain; Master Aramil is a full colonel. The military address is appropriate as you are not blessed with the Force." She shifted gears smoothly. "But you are blessed with skill, and a keen tactical mind. I was impressed by your performance. You succeeded even when your apprentices got themselves killed. You performed far and away better than any other trooper here. I am promoting you to Corporal. You will be joining my squad, as will PFC Genda. You will lead a fire team."

Sarna nodded. "Thank you, Captain Turnell."

Antur smiled. "You really are doing well, Sarna. You're halfway back to your lost rank, and combat duty is a good way to earn rapid promotions."

Kaiya nodded. "Continue down the path you are on, and you have great potential among the Sith."

* * *

 

The next few weeks passed quickly. Sarna and Yun began living and training with two other members of Kaiya Turnell's squad. Sarna was no longer facing lethal force now that she had been selected. Kaiya said her troopers were too valuable to risk. Instead, they fought endless battle drills against Master Aramil and his squad, including Tash. Kaiya and Sarna spent a lot of time together, developing tactics. Sarna was quite impressed by the apprentice. Kaiya was the most focused woman she had ever met, strong, intelligent, and dedicated to the Sith with fanatical zeal.

Sarna had other things on her mind as well: she was falling for Tash. As she got to know him better, she was developing stronger feelings for him. She knew he didn't feel the same, and it was killing her. She must have shown it on her face, because Yun asked her what was going on at dinner one night. She couldn't help it; she just let it all out. Yun's face fell and he nodded. "It is very hard when someone you care for doesn't feel the same way."

Sarna's jaw dropped. "Oh no, Yun…" He raised a hand to stop her, but she barged right ahead. "You love me, don't you?"

He smiled sadly. "You didn't notice? I've been following you like a puppy dog for a year now." He looked glum. "But you love Tash."

Now it was Sarna's turn to pout. "And he loves Naomi, who died because of me."

Yun chuckled. "What a mess."

Sarna shook her head. "I have no right to want him. If I hadn't screwed up, he'd be married and happy."

Yun frowned. "It all leads back to Jace, doesn't it?"

Sarna nodded grimly. "I do hope we cross his path before this war is over."

It seemed likely that they would. Six months after Sarna rescued Calo Nord, the task force learned its mission: assaulting the Jedi Enclave on the sparsely populated world of Dantooine. The droids would spread out across the planet to secure the larger settlements. The 322nd would assault the area around the Enclave, and Master Aramil's Special Assault Unit would hit the Enclave itself. The Republic had very little fleet presence in the area, so the major danger was the large number of Jedi, including several Masters. The SAU troopers were given holos of about two dozen Jedi Masters who were considered too dangerous to face. If any of them were spotted, Sarna was supposed to retreat and wait for Aramil or other powerful Sith to take them on. Sarna's job was to keep enemy soldiers from threatening the Force users while they took on the Jedi directly. The squad went over the plan for their section of the battle area, then headed back to the barracks to rest. The fleet formed up and jumped to hyperspace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next, we get to see the attack on Dantooine we only heard about in KotOR. Please, leave a review to let me know what you think!


	3. Dantooine Assault, part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: BioWare and LucasArts created the Old Republic world... but the Paladin, that was me!

* * *

The Sith fleet dropped back into realspace near Dantooine. The troopers of the 322nd Regiment had awoken an hour earlier to be ready to launch. They gathered in the assault hangars near their ships. The majority of the regiment would take common shuttles to the battle, but the SAU would launch in armed landing craft. These were variants of the shuttle with an elongated fuselage. They had a pair of fixed blaster cannon for the pilot and three twin repeater turrets, one on either side of the troop compartment forward of the wings, and one between and above the twin engines in the rear. The troopers gathered at the docking bay doors to watch the opening moves of the battle.

Outside, a single Republic destroyer hung in space over the northern hemisphere. Its captain bravely got underway and moved to position his ship between the Sith fleet and the Enclave. The Sith fighters were the first to launch. Twelve full squadrons of the angular spacecraft roared off the catapult rails and joined up in formation. Behind them came the first wave of bombers. Sixteen squadrons cruised toward the planet; they would strike the destroyer and pummel the Republic defenses before the troop transports landed. Picket ships cruised in lazy figure-eights while they waited for the transports they were meant to escort. Another eight bomber squadrons waited on the catapults to strike targets for the ground forces with four squadrons of fighters as emergency reserve.

The prelaunch tone sounded; Sarna and her squad boarded their landing craft and strapped in. She saw Tash with another squad and gave him a small smile. He winked at her and mouthed a silent  _good luck_. The transports left the launch bays and formed up; picket ships led the formation as they descended toward the Enclave.

Sarna watched out a viewport as a small fighter force rose from the surface to join the destroyer; there were perhaps a dozen. The small group came out to fight, seemingly unconcerned that they were vastly outnumbered. She raised her macrobinoculars for a better view. The Republic fighters were of a design she had never seen before. There was a single large engine in the tail; the wings had a slight downward curve with an engine nacelle at each wingtip. The fighters were armed with heavy blaster cannon in the wing roots and an unmanned twin repeater turret mounted atop the fuselage, just behind the canopy.

"Oh… no." Sarna recognized Tash's voice.

"What's the trouble?" asked Yun.

"Those are Aratech AT-17J Paladins," said Tash worriedly. "They are specifically designed to be flown by Jedi. They have a heavily reinforced frame and a ton of thrust-Jedi can withstand massive acceleration. With a Jedi ace in the cockpit, those things can outfly any other snub fighter ever built."

As he said it, the fighters split into pairs, spread out, and climbed toward the Sith interceptors. They moved faster than any spacecraft Sarna had ever seen. The first two squadrons of Sith fighters accelerated away from the main group and closed in to the merge. The Jedi defenders began a series of radical maneuvers. The wingtip engines pivoted, allowing the Jedi ships to change direction with blinding speed, or even fly backwards. Both sides opened fire. Each Paladin could engage two enemies at once: one with the heavy cannon, and one with the turret, which was linked to the movements of the pilot's head. The Jedi broke the first Sith attack effortlessly; they were simply too agile to be beaten by anything but sheer weight of numbers. The rest of the Sith fighters moved in; the fight lasted another ten minutes. The Sith took astounding losses, but the last Paladin finally exploded. The bombers separated and began moving to their targets.

More Republic ships came into view; a swarm of common Aurek strike fighters and three frigates had been hiding behind the planet.

"It's a trap!" cried Yun.

Tash shook his head. "Not enough of one."

Only a handful of Sith interceptors had survived the fight against the Paladin fighters; the last four squadrons began launching from the cruisers. Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Three  _Hammerhead_ -class cruisers and five destroyers dropped out of hyperspace behind the Sith fleet. They immediately began launching spacecraft.

Tash shrugged. "Okay,  _now_  it's a trap."

The reserve wing of Sith fighters and bombers could not stop both threats. They turned and headed after the Republic battle group, leaving the Sith bombers and transports guarded only by picket ships and the remaining fighters. The Sith flight leader was no coward; he did not hesitate to take on thirty-plus fighters with five. The first group of bombers turned away from Dantooine and made attack runs on the frigates and destroyer in low orbit. The large ships were quickly smashed by multiple hits, but their defense guns took many bombers with them. The surviving bombers were much lighter without their load of torpedoes. They wheeled and courageously moved to assist the fighters. The two groups of spacecraft met about twenty kilometers from the transports; the Sith were annihilated within minutes. The remaining Republic fighters bored in towards the transport group. The picket screen shifted formation, placing themselves between the fighters and the shuttles.

Kaiya turned to her troops. "Warm up the guns!"

Soldiers raced to the turrets and made ready to defend the ship. The pickets trained every available turret toward the incoming Aureks. The Republic fighters launched a salvo of torpedoes and turned away before they entered gun range. The pickets' quads and twin guns filled the sky with scarlet bolts. They were able to shoot down several torpedoes, but a few leaked through the curtain of blaster fire and two of the escort vessels were reduced to flaming debris. The fighters reloaded their tubes and came in for another run, and another. The fighters were soon out of heavy ordnance, but they had methodically destroyed all but one of the pickets. They split up and tore through the formation, targeting the vulnerable transports with their blaster cannon. The landing craft turrets rattled and chattered as the gunners tried to hold off the Aureks. The last picket brought down three fighters, but more circled like sharks.

The trooper manning the tail gun on Sarna's transport whooped gleefully. The soldiers craned to look out the rear viewport and cheered at what they saw. One of the Republic cruisers had been blown in two. The  _Leviathan_  and two frigates were racing to the rescue with a mixed group of bombers and interceptors. The last Republic fighters fell to a combination of turret fire and the newly arriving ships. The transports slowed; the bombers raced past them to strike the guns on the ground.

"This isn't over yet," said Kaiya. "There aren't enough bombers to take out all the AA guns, and we won't have any air support of our own until they can reload."

The bombers made several runs each, then turned back for the cruiser. The shuttles carrying war droids went in first to draw fire away from the 322nd. The guns began firing as the transports entered the atmosphere. The air defense commander was no fool. Instead of letting his gunners aim for specific targets, they were ordered to fire in interlocking patterns, making sure that the entire sky was well-covered. The shuttles started taking hits. The landing craft tried returning fire, but the guns were well-protected in shielded positions. The shuttle next to Sarna's lost a wing and began a slow roll as it fell. Sarna's own transport shook as it took fire. Several hits drained the shields, then a blaster cannon bolt struck the 'shoulder' of the landing craft between the cockpit and the left wing. The port gunner was killed instantly. Two other men were less lucky; their seats broke loose and fell out the hole with the hapless soldiers still strapped in. The rest of the troopers remained safe in their seats for the time being.

"Jump belts!" cried Kaiya. Each trooper reached under their seat and retrieved an emergency repulsor belt.

"Keep in mind, those repulsor coils will burn out after about a minute," shouted Tash. "If you use them when you are too high, they won't do you any good. Remember: wait till late, then activate."

Kaiya unstrapped to lower the ramp. One by one, the troopers buckled on the belts, got out of their seat harness, and leapt from the crippled lander. Sarna checked her gear and moved to the intact starboard hatch. Yun jumped; Sarna followed right behind him.

* * *

 

The wind roared outside her helmet; Sarna briefly struggled to breathe, then relaxed as she fell and the air thickened. She concentrated on shaping her arms and legs to stabilize her fall and looked around. There was Yun, to her right and ahead. Sarna pulled her arms and legs in and swooped over to him. The two linked arms and waited to be low enough to use their belts. At 2500 meters, Sarna hit the activation stud and the repulsor belt hummed to life. She immediately slowed to a survivable descent speed and extended her arms, leaning to aim for a large clearing. As Sarna approached the ground, she tilted feet down and unslung her carbine. She hit and rolled, coming up into a combat crouch. She extended her carbine's stock and swept the immediate area; it was clear. Yun dashed up and they took cover in a small clump of trees on a hill.

Sarna and Yun took a moment to look around and get their bearings. All across the sky the AA fire was tearing into the assault force. They were now low enough for the small force of defending Republic troops to use shoulder-mounted rockets. The shuttles began popping decoys and maneuvering wildly to avoid. As more and more were hit, the troopers began jumping rather than try to ride the transports to landing. Troopers were landing in open fields all around the Enclave, but the units had been mixed and scattered. Some transports had made it to the ground and unloaded; they were now pinned on the ground, unable to take off due to the heavy fire. The  _Leviathan_  was invisible in the daytime sky, but its batteries were engaging the defense guns. Bombers roared by, striking whatever they could see.

Sarna turned to Yun. "Any sign of Tash or the captain?"

Yun shook his head. "What do we do?"

Sarna clicked on her comlink. "Corporal Sarna to any SAU personnel, does anyone copy?"

The comm crackled. "Sarna? It's Tash; I'm with Kaiya and a small group of SAU troopers. I jumped before you did. What is your location?"

Sarna checked her wrist computer. "About two kilometers due south of the Enclave. There are small firefights going on all around."

"Did you say  _south_?" asked Kaiya.

"Yes, south," replied Sarna. "According to my map, I'm between the Sandral and Matale farm complexes."

"You must have jumped late," said Tash. "Stay clear of the Matale estate. There are a dozen farmers barricaded in the main building, and the grounds are defended by battle droids and gun turrets. Our droid support is advancing from the south to deal with them. The rest of the SAU landed north of the Enclave, and we're fighting our way to the edge of the compound now. We ran right into the Jedi Council making their escape." As Tash said it, a  _Foray_ -class destroyer lifted off from the Enclave with four Paladin fighter escorts. They climbed away, angling to avoid the Sith fleet.

"There they go now," grunted Kaiya. "I only have about ten troops left here, Sarna. I can't take the Enclave with that few, even with the Jedi Masters gone. We need your help, Corporal. A couple of shuttles from the 322nd managed to land safely about half a klick east of you; they are taking heavy fire. Get to them, get the troops organized, and move on the Enclave from your side. I'll send a droid platoon from our reinforcements to secure the shuttles for our return to the  _Leviathan_."

"Understood, Captain Turnell," said Sarna. "Are there any Jedi left in the compound?"

"The Masters are all accounted for," replied Tash, "but there could be Jedi Knights or Padawans. Keep your eyes open. Good luck."

Sarna cut the comm and turned to Yun. "We head east to link up with some other troops, then we move on the Enclave. Sounds like things aren't going well."

The two troopers began walking. They crested a low rise and saw the shuttles a klick away, with a battle raging around them. The transports had landed in the open, and Republic soldiers were firing on them from several rocky outcrops. The Republic soldiers had an elevated position, solid cover, and a pair of light repeaters; the Sith were being badly mauled. Each shuttle had carried a full platoon, but only two dozen remained, and they were pinned down, taking cover behind the landing gear or in whatever shallow holes they could find.

Sarna grabbed Yun's shoulder. "Can you hit them from here, with a standard-issue rifle?"

He smiled grimly. "You bet I can."

"Right, then." Sarna found a small boulder for cover. "Start picking them off. I won't shoot until they get wise to us."

Yun dropped prone and took careful aim. He fired, killing a repeater gunner. Yun's second shot missed; his third wounded a Republic rifleman. The Republic soldiers realized something was up. The soldiers on the nearest outcrop swiveled and returned fire. They had been spotted, so Sarna began shooting. She couldn't be accurate with a carbine at this range, so she scattered her fire to harass the enemy. Yun fired again, killing another soldier. With the pressure taken off, the pinned squad was able to set up a heavy repeating blaster on a shielded tripod. The gunner opened up, suppressing the soldiers in the rocks. Sarna began moving in, as did several of the other Sith. With the tables turned, the Republic soldiers fell back towards the Enclave. The Sith squad advanced to the rocky outcrop; Sarna and Yun joined them there.

Sarna looked around. "Who's in charge here?"

A female lieutenant in a flight suit raised her hand. "By rank, it's me, but I'm a shuttle pilot."

"The Republic was aiming for officers and senior NCOs," one of the troopers explained. "Our command are all dead. If you have a mission for us, we'll follow your orders."

Sarna took a deep, calming breath. "Right. My orders are to collect you and assault the Enclave from the south. War droids are moving in to protect the transports. Shuttle crews will stay here and wait for them." She pointed. "Let's get the heavy repeater up into the rocks and search the bodies for supplies. They'll counterattack from the Enclave soon."

* * *

 

The gunners moved the repeater, tripod and generator. The rest of Sarna's new platoon checked the shuttles and dead soldiers for supplies. Aside from the usual grenades and blaster power packs, she recovered the macrobinoculars from a dead lieutenant. Sarna organized her force into three rifle squads plus the repeater section and Yun. She ordered her people into defensive positions with the heavy repeater on the left flank and Yun on the right. The Enclave was just over half a kilometer away, protected by another high ridge with a commanding view of the open plains. Sarna raised her macros and scanned the ridge. The Republic had managed to build a proper fortified position for their last line of defense. Most of the earthworks were simple fighting holes with sandbag parapets, but the gun nests at either end were hardened with rocks and boulders. The remaining squad or so of Republic soldiers were dug in, watching her across the low ground. They appeared to be waiting for something. Sarna wondered what it was, and then she saw the reinforcements. A large group of what appeared to be armed civilians climbed the ridge from the Enclave side; they wore hunting camouflage and were armed with sporting rifles.

One of the troopers snorted. "It's the local militia-we're up against weekend warriors!"

"Stay alert," warned Yun. "There are a lot of them, and if they are decent shots, hunting rifles could give us trouble."

"Give me a break," said the skeptical trooper. He stood up and shouted towards the militia. "Drop those guns! If you surrender now, you won't be killed."

One of the militiamen put a bolt right between the trooper's eyes. "Get off our world, Sith, before we blast you off!"

The Sith opened up. The Enclave defenders took good cover and returned fire. The Republic squad had split into two fire teams, each with a light repeater, anchoring the ends of the defense line with the militia in the center. The engagement quickly became a stalemate. Sarna had the heavy weapon, but couldn't advance against the defenders' superior numbers. The militia slowed their fire, and started aiming carefully, making their shots count. Two Sith troopers fell and the rest were forced to hunker down. With the Sith suppressed, a mixed group of soldiers and militia tried to break cover and charge, but were driven back by heavy fire from the repeater. Yun got two and the other troopers killed three before they could make it back to their lines. Sarna directed the repeater crew to fire intermittent bursts across the defenders' position, just to stop them charging again. The enemy was too far away for grenades, and she didn't have the firepower to suppress so large a force.

"We can't get bogged down here, we need to move!" Sarna ground her teeth. "Yun, Second Squad, follow me. The rest of you, keep up the fire, keep them occupied. Use grenades if they rush you again."

Yun, Sarna, and a half-dozen troopers dropped back behind their rock outcrop and down to the bottom of the hill. Sarna led the way, running a couple hundred meters to the side, then crossing the low ground to the base of the Republic ridge. She went prone and began crawling up the ridge, slanting towards the Republic right flank. They made the crest without being spotted and took up positions; Sarna saved the heaviest cover for Yun.

"All right." Sarna spoke into her comm, so the rest of her troops could hear. "Yun, you have the first shot; take out the right side repeater gunner. Repeater section, on Yun's shot, focused barrage on the left side repeater. First Squad, Third Squad, keep hitting the militia. Second Squad, grenade the gun nest as soon as Yun shoots. Fire on my command. All teams sound off."

One by one, the various teams reported ready. Sarna brought her carbine to shoulder, then gave the order. Yun fired, hitting the repeater gunner right in the upper chest. The Sith repeater section cut loose with a stream of constant fire, suppressing the other Republic repeater. Then things went wrong. The grenade from Sarna's squad landed short, exploding outside the gun nest and leaving the rest of the fire team unscathed. Another Republic soldier grabbed the fallen repeater and swung it around to fire on the flanking Sith. One trooper was killed, but Sarna and most of her squad hit the deck in time. Yun blew the gunner's head off. Sarna called for him to stay put; she and her squad ran up to the rim of the hole and riddled the rest of the Republic troopers with blaster fire. They dropped into the hole and began firing on the militia. Now the defenders had a squad with sniper support on their flank, and had to split their fire. The remaining Republic repeater couldn't shoot at Sarna's squad without hitting their own people, so its crew desperately tried to take out the Sith heavy repeater. But the heavy weapon had a gun shield, and its crew was relatively safe.

Sarna threw smoke grenades and the squad vaulted up out of their hole, rolling up the militia line. And then Yun fired again, and the Republic repeater fell silent. First and Third Squad broke cover and charged, and the militia began to panic. A militiaman stood out of his hole, firing wildly with his rifle. Sarna burst out of the smoke and drove her bayonet into his chest. The militiaman screamed and thrashed and the bayonet got stuck in his body. As he fell, he pulled Sarna with him and they went down in a tangle. The rest of her squad kept going as Sarna struggled to extricate herself from the wounded man. He clubbed her with the butt of his rifle; her helmet prevented a concussion, but it still hurt. Sarna snarled and fired once, finishing him off. She clambered to her feet, reached down to pull her carbine loose… and got a good look at the dead man's face.

The militiaman was just a boy, couldn't have been more than fifteen.

Time seemed to slow; Sarna froze, unable to look away from the kid she'd killed. He had strawberry-blonde curls escaping from under the builder's hard hat he'd been wearing for armor. He had the very first wisps of a moustache, and his beard was still a year or two away. His hazel eyes were wide open in shock, but completely empty, and they bored into hers. Sarna's breathing grew ragged, and her eyes stung with tears inside the helmet.

She jumped as a blaster bolt went by her head. What had seemed like an eternity of staring at the dead boy had only been a few seconds. Sarna shook herself.  _He was armed, and he was trying to kill me. Doubt later. This fight isn't over, and they're counting on you to lead this platoon._  With some effort, she shook off her daze and moved to catch up with her squad.

First and Third Squad had crossed the low ground and attacked the heights head-on. They took heavy casualties from repeater fire and grenades, but First Squad managed to wipe out the second Republic repeater crew. The surviving Sith troopers pressed the militia from the front and both flanks; the repeater section hammered away at them. The surrounded militiamen dropped their rifles and stood out of their holes with their hands up.

One of the gunners chuckled. "Too late, chum." He opened fire and gunned down the militia to the last man.

"What the hell, they surrendered!" cried Yun, appalled.

The gunner shook his head. "They had their chance."

A flash of green cut him in two. The Jedi slashed the second member of the repeater crew, then turned the weapon on the Sith. A dozen troopers were killed or wounded, and the rest scattered, running for cover. Yun aimed carefully, hitting the repeater barrel where it extended through the shield. The Jedi left the now-useless weapon and jumped out of the rocks. She flipped in midair and landed in a three-point crouch, saber arm back along her body, then stood, radiating an aura of righteous wrath. "I am Padawan Belaya of the Jedi Order. You Sith scum will pay for this atrocity."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic is written with the usual conventions of a video game, meaning boss fights. However, Sarna and Yun are mid-level Sith Troopers, their bosses are scaled appropriately. Even with special training, a couple of troopers are in real danger vs. a Padawan. As always, please review!


	4. Dantooine Assault, part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This fanfic is built on the foundation laid by BioWare and Lucasarts.

* * *

Sarna brought her carbine up, bayonet at the ready. "Spread out! Yun and I will take her in close-you keep up the fire."

The remaining troopers backed away, firing at Belaya with their carbines. She swatted their bolts away and released a powerful Force wave that knocked the other troopers off their feet. Three were slammed into the rocks and killed. Sarna and Yun closed in, staying wide apart. The Padawan shifted, trying to keep them both in front of her. It became clear that neither side wanted to make the first move. Sarna stepped up and thrust her bayonet at Belaya. The Jedi parried without effort and threw out a hand. Sarna braced for the Force push, but only felt a slight shove.

Sarna blinked and looked at Belaya more closely. Her hair was unkempt, and her clothing was dusty and scuffed. She'd been in several hard fights; Sarna realized that she had depleted her reserves of the Force. The trooper grinned. "Looks like you'll be fighting like us mere mortals."

Belaya raised her saber. "I'm not afraid."

Yun smirked. "You will be-you're up against the two best Special Assault troopers in the task force."

He ran in, stabbing with his much longer rifle. Belaya knocked his barrel to one side and sliced at his neck. Yun spun under her attack and drove his leg into her stomach. Belaya grunted, stepped up, and drove her elbow into the side of Yun's head. He fell unconscious.

The Jedi turned to face Sarna. "Your squad is down. I'm not like you-if you surrender, I will spare you." Sarna was worried, but determined to see the fight through. She saw a chance and moved in with her bayonet in front. Belaya feinted, then came in for an overhand slash. Sarna angled her carbine and allowed the strike to roll off to the side. The Sith trooper retreated; Belaya followed, moving away from Yun. She was fixated on Sarna, and did not see the marksman get back up. He fired at her back. The Jedi barely got her saber around in time. She nodded approvingly at Sarna and Yun. "Clever, but you're still outmatched." She ran at Yun, whipping her blade at his legs. Yun blocked and circled. Belaya spun and swung her full weight. Sarna was staggered and stepped back. The Padawan whirled on Yun, who had been charging in at her back. She caught his arm, twisted, and threw him into the rocks.

"Yun!" cried Sarna. She came at Belaya, thrusting at her upper chest. Belaya parried and slashed. Sarna hopped backwards and fired her carbine twice from point-blank range. Belaya didn't have enough time to block; she was hit in the right shoulder and side. She groaned and grabbed her stomach. Sarna hit her saber arm with a roundhouse kick, disarming her.

Belaya stood stock-still, unarmed and wounded. She glared at Sarna. "Finish me, murderer."

Sarna shook her head. "I don't kill defenseless people. Those gunners were undisciplined. I'll accept your surrender."

The Jedi spat angrily, then sighed and nodded. "I know when I'm beaten." Sarna called the surviving members of her squad. One trooper produced a pair of binders and cuffed Belaya's hands behind her back.

Sarna pointed at the Jedi. "No tricks. I know you are recovering your strength. If you try to escape, we'll shoot you." Belaya nodded. Sarna retrieved Belaya's fallen lightsaber and clipped it to her own belt. She pulled out her comlink. "Captain Turnell from Corporal Sarna, do you copy?"

"I hear you, Sarna," replied Kaiya, "What is your status?"

"We've cleared out the Republic resistance on the south side," said Sarna. "My squad was attacked by a Jedi; only Yun and four others have survived. We took the Jedi alive."

"Say again-repeat your last," said Kaiya. "I thought you said you captured a Jedi."

Sarna grinned. "Just a Padawan, but yes, we did."

"Good work, Corporal," said Kaiya. "Change of plan. We don't have enough strength left to take the planet, so the task force is going to bombard the Enclave. I'm coming around the compound to take custody of your prisoner. Leave her with your troopers. You and Yun make a quick search of the Enclave sublevel for artifacts or documents, then return to  _Leviathan_."

Sarna acknowledged and turned to her troopers. "You four, take her back to the shuttles. Captain Turnell will arrive shortly to take over. Yun, with me. We're sweeping the sublevel for intel." The group separated; the last survivors of the shuttles escorted the cuffed Jedi back to the landing zone. Sarna and Yun found an entrance and moved down a ramp into the Enclave sublevel.

The corridors were dark; the Enclave had lost main power. Sarna and Yun passed a small atrium with trees growing out of a planter. They found the library room; it had been largely emptied. The few remaining volumes were of no real value. The troopers passed a maintenance room with rows of powered-down protocol droids standing like troops at inspection. Then they heard frightened voices. They entered a small observation room overlooking a gymnasium. About thirty children of various species were huddled in the center of the large floor; none appeared older than their early teens. The older ones were holding the younger kids, trying to soothe their fear. Then Sarna heard a familiar, hoarse voice.

"It's going to be all right, now," said Brent. He and Rafi came out of a side door into the gym wearing Republic uniforms.

"What's going on, sir?" asked one of the older girls. "Are the Masters coming back soon?"

Brent nodded. "The Sith are retreating. You should take this shield unit, in case there are some still around. You'll have to squeeze in close, to make sure it covers you all."

Sarna gaped in shock when she saw what Brent had handed the child. She sprinted out of the room, desperately trying to reach the gym. It was too late. The hallway shook as the scarred Sith set off the thermal detonator. Sarna flattened herself against the wall as Brent and Rafi left the room. "What's next, Brent?" Rafi asked.

Brent grunted. "I think there's still some time before we have to get back to the ship. Let's go find Tash." Sarna came around the corner into the gym. One look, and she barely had time to get her helmet off before throwing up.

Yun came in behind her. "Oh, gods, why? They were just kids!"

Sarna shook her head. "Evil bastards!" She stood bolt upright. "Brent and Rafi are going after Tash; they're going to kill him. We've got to catch them!"

* * *

 

Yun and Sarna scrambled through the darkened hallways, looking for an exit. They eventually found a ramp leading out to the upper level of the Enclave. The two troopers sprinted to a low balcony and saw Tash. The medic was watching a distant firefight through macrobinoculars and didn't see Brent and Rafi approaching from behind. Brent cleared his throat; Tash turned around. Sarna tried leaning out, but couldn't get a clean shot. She watched helplessly as Tash walked up to his former platoon mates.

"Are the younglings dead?" asked Tash.

Brent nodded. "They had all gathered together."

Tash smiled. "Good work, Sergeant."

Brent saluted. "Thank you, Lieutenant. We're always glad to help an agent of Sith Intelligence."

Yun looked at Sarna; her face had frozen in an expression of twisted shock. "I may have another fun job for you," said Tash. "The SAU managed to catch a woman Jedi alive."

Brent chuckled. "And you want her broken in the usual way."

Rafi grinned. "We're always happy to do our duty." The three men shared a laugh.

Brent rubbed his scar. "Who managed to take a Jedi prisoner?"

Tash shook his head slowly. "Would you believe it was Sarna and Yun Genda?"

Rafi's mouth fell open. "Little Sarna the screw-up captured a Jedi?"

Tash nodded and smiled. "She's coming along nicely."

Brent cocked his head. "B-Coy is always happy to have a punching bag around, but why her? Why wasn't she executed for her failure?"

Tash scratched his head. "The Colonel felt something special in her. Sarna's not Force Sensitive, but Varss told me that he couldn't probe her mind. That makes her a good candidate for training as a Jedi-killer. I was assigned as her control officer. Antur staged the canceled execution and then handed her over to you for softening up. That sniper's not bad, either, but Captain Turnell says Sarna's got as much potential as Jaq Dran."

Rafi's eyes widened. "Black Jaq? Kriff, she must be good. But how did you get her so loyal?"

The agent smiled. "I play the kind man; I rescue her from you, and she's grateful. I tell her a sad story about a dead fiancée, and crawl into her heart. In her head, doing well at her assignments, being loyal to the Sith, earns her my love. I've got her panting for me like a worm-head whore." Brent threw back his head and howled with laughter.

Yun was watching Sarna with concern. Her entire frame was shaking with barely controlled rage. She turned to look at him. "I've heard enough. These bastards will pay for what they've done. Torturing me, murdering those helpless kids, they're through."

Yun nodded. "I'll cover you from up here."

Sarna vaulted over the balcony rail and landed in the plaza with carbine in hand. "Tash! I trusted you!"

The three Sith spun to face her. "Oh, frakk," cursed Tash.

"Why kill the children?" she snarled, "Were they too young to twist into killers?"

Brent leered. "They weren't too young; we just didn't have the time."

Tash raised his hands defensively. "I have my orders, Sarna. You could only realize your potential by being thoroughly broken, then built up again."

Sarna spat. "And Colonel Varss, and the troopers? Were they even real?"

Tash nodded. "You  _did_  fail, Sarna. The Colonel felt your unusual abilities during your trial for drunkenness. The fugitives really did take out a large number of Sith, including Colonel Varss. And now, you owe your life to the mercy of Sith Intelligence." His expression hardened. "That is a debt you  _will_  repay, or die. We own you."

Sarna raised her carbine. "You're dead men!"

She fired and charged in, heedless of their advantage in numbers. Tash ran to meet her attack, with Brent and Rafi close behind. She realized with sudden dread that by charging in, she had gotten too close for Yun to shoot, and he couldn't help her. She lunged with her bayonet, making sure her opponents couldn't fire either. Brent and Rafi drew vibroblades, Tash took an unarmed combat stance. Sarna whipped her stock at his head, then made to stab him in the guts. He twirled out of the way masterfully and spun a kick into Sarna's kidneys. She grunted in pain. Rafi sliced at her left shoulder and she turned to parry.

It was a mistake; her back was to Brent. He caught Sarna in a bear hug, pinning her arms. Tash tore her carbine away and punched her in the solar plexus. Sarna crumpled and Tash grabbed her by the throat. "You've thrown away your second chance, Sarna," he said evenly. "You're going to die here."

Brent began fondling her breasts from behind. "Come on, Lieutenant, let us have her." He leaned in and growled into Sarna's ear. "If you are a good girl and put out like the slut you are, you get to live. If you struggle, we'll show you just how much we can make you suffer before we kill you."

Sarna's head dropped and she let herself go limp. Rafi chuckled. "Why don't you go first, Tash? Privileges of rank." Tash smiled and began unbuckling his belt. Brent slipped one hand inside Sarna's tunic, and shoved the other into her pants. He stiffened and made a gurgling sound as the tip of Belaya's saber came out the top of his head. Sarna tore the saber through his body in a reverse-grip uppercut, continuing the motion to slice Tash in half from crotch to sternum. Rafi shouted and reached for his rifle; Yun shot him in the throat. Sarna looked down at the men she had killed. The saber tip began swinging wildly as her hands began to shake.

Yun dropped down and walked over slowly. "What do we do now?" he asked quietly.

"What the hell are they turning us into?" Sarna doused the saber and turned to him with steely resolve on her face. "I didn't sign up to kill children. They're acting just like the Mandalorians did. We don't need to make up for getting Sith killed, we need to atone for being Sith in the first place."

Yun looked concerned. "I'm with you, but how do we escape?"

Sarna looked at the saber hilt in her hand. "Once the operation is over, the task force is headed to Manaan for shore leave. We break Belaya out, then get to Ahto. The Sith can't get us there, and the Republic might forgive our crimes for rescuing her."

Yun nodded. "That might work." He began going through Tash's medic satchel, coming up with a spray injector. "Sedatives," he explained. "Let's take a page out of Jace's playbook. We should free Belaya as soon as possible. We talk Kaiya into joining us for a little 'interrogation,' then I knock her out and Belaya takes her place. We tell Antur we put her in a coma during questioning."

Sarna smiled. "I like it." She raised her comlink. "Kaiya-Captain Turnell, I mean-I'm so sorry."

"What's wrong, Corporal?" asked the apprentice.

Sarna forced herself to sob by thinking of the red-headed boy and the younglings in the Enclave. "It's Tash Moross, he's dead; I just found him with Brent and Rafi and they're dead too! Rafi was shot, the other two were killed by a lightsaber."

"Calm down, Sarna," said Kaiya. "Keep a watch for enemy ambushes. My shuttle is about to land on the Enclave pad to pick up the last troopers from the landing. Get yourself there, and we can get back to the ship."

"Understood, Captain" Sarna said. "We're en route."

She and Yun made their way to the landing pad on the north side of the Enclave compound. A handful of other troopers were waiting there.

In a few minutes, a landing craft set down. Sarna and the others boarded and they lifted off for orbit. Kaiya walked over to Sarna. "I'm sorry about Tash, trooper. He was an excellent soldier."

Sarna smiled thinly. "He didn't go quietly. You should have seen the plaza-carbon scoring, saber grooves, and a whole lot of dead soldiers." She reached down to her waist and brought out Belaya's lightsaber. "I bagged a Jedi thanks to the Special Assault training."

Kaiya beamed. "Keep that saber, Sarna-it makes a nice souvenir, and you certainly earned it."

Sarna grinned. "Here's hoping it's the start of a collection."

They landed on the  _Leviathan_  as the bombardment began. The surviving Sith ships pounded Dantooine for hours as the troopers rested. Sarna expected to have trouble sleeping, but the decision to defect gave her unexpected peace. She slept better than any time since her party on Taris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this heel-face turn may seem like I'm ripping off Finn in Force Awakens. Not so. I began writing my KotOR saga in 2012, years before even the first trailer was released. It's a coincidence... or the Force. Please review!


	5. Leviathan Escape, part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I didn't make KotOR, I just put my spin on the characters, that's all.

Sarna awoke refreshed and with a new sense of purpose. She looked across the room to see Yun stirring as well. Sarna hopped out of her bunk and hit the 'fresher. She emerged twenty minutes later dressed in ship's working uniform. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned at the Sith emblem on her shoulder. The  _Leviathan_  had set a course for Manaan, and the spacers and troopers of the task force were eagerly awaiting several days' leave. Yun and Sarna had a different reason to look forward to their arrival in Selkath space. They met in the mess hall to plan. The troopers were talking animatedly about the previous day's battle, and the two conspirators could speak without being overheard.

"Do you feel better, too?" Yun asked.

"Yes, I do," said Sarna, twirling her ponytail with a finger. "I think I've known that I was doing wrong since Taris, but I just admitted it to myself yesterday."

Yun pursed his lips. "I don't know what will happen if we get away. I mean, we're Sith troopers, and we've participated in two massacres. The Republic might well lock us up."

Sarna looked at him sadly. "Maybe we deserve it. I'd still prefer a Republic prison to this place." She brightened. "And whatever happens, we can lean on each other."

The corners of Yun's mouth drooped. "You still don't feel the same way I do."

Sarna's face fell. "I don't know where we go from here, Yun. All I'm thinking about is getting away."

Yun's gaze shifted; he was looking past Sarna. "Here comes Kaiya. Time for phase one."

The Sith senior apprentice carried her meal tray over from the serving line and sat down at their table. "How are you two doing? That was an intense fight yesterday."

Yun shrugged. "Bumps and bruises. I heard you were injured, though. How are you, Captain?"

Kaiya grimaced and clutched her side. "I ran into Master Vrook Lamar. I'm out of the war for at least a week with several broken bones." She sighed. "Master Aramil has been called away to Malak's side, and I am pretty banged up. Most of the senior officers of the 322nd were injured or killed. Major Antur is temporarily in charge, but we're all off duty until replacements arrive. This task force is in no shape for another battle right now. Still, keep your ears perked up. Darth Bandon tracked Shan's ship to Manaan and SAU may be called on to help capture her if things go sideways." She looked right at Sarna. "I know you and Tash were close. Are you all right?"

It didn't take Sarna much effort to shed a tear. "More good people are dead because I failed. I owed him so much, and I couldn't be there to save him."

Kaiya shook her head. "The mission succeeded, Sarna. The Jedi base has been knocked out of the war. Victory requires sacrifice; it is our job to make sure that the warriors who fell yesterday didn't die for nothing." She smiled. "Don't feel bad about Tash, Sarna. I'm sure he would be happy at all you've accomplished."

Sarna prayed that the surge of rage didn't show on her face. "Speaking of that success, I have a favor to ask."

Kaiya swallowed a forkful of omelet and nodded. "You've certainly earned my gratitude. What can I do for you?"

Sarna looked at Yun. "The Jedi we captured, she killed pretty much my whole squad. I'd like to show her the error of her ways, but I'm worried she'll use the Force on me. Can you come along to keep an eye on things?"

Kaiya smiled wickedly. "I think I can pencil you in. Padawan Belaya is in the high-value prisoner section of the detention block. Let's head down after breakfast."

Once their meal was finished, Yun and Sarna followed Kaiya to the turbolift and headed down to the detention block. Sarna felt a twisted mix of emotions as she passed the interrogation room where then-Captain Antur of the military police had told her that her gear had been stolen by a Republic spy. They crossed the exercise yard and Sarna couldn't help it: she tapped the wall control and the pole slid out of the ground. She had faced a firing squad here, half a year and an entire lifetime ago.  _If I fail, I'll be back here, and this time I'll be shot._  She took a deep breath.  _It's worth it._

Kaiya watched from a distance. "Well, Sarna, what do you think? Are you the same woman you were back then?"

Sarna looked at Yun, then turned to Kaiya. "No," she said quietly, "I'm something more."

The apprentice smiled. "I'm proud of you two, and so is Major Antur." They continued on to the detention area. Kaiya hit a few keys on a wall panel. "Let me kill the microphones. We wouldn't want to be disturbed."

Belaya's cell had a solid durasteel door. Kaiya opened it and led Sarna and Yun inside; the door slid shut behind them. Belaya was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, in a meditative trance. Yun leaned against the wall near the door, arms folded. Kaiya shook the woman's shoulder firmly, "Wake up, Jedi. Some of my people want a word."

Belaya looked up as Kaiya stepped back to make room for Sarna. "Remember me, Belaya?" she asked.

The Jedi glared. "You led the attack on the Enclave's south side. Your troops murdered a dozen militiamen who were trying to surrender."

Sarna nodded. "I'm Corporal Sarna of the  _Leviathan_  Special Assault Unit. This is my commanding officer, Senior Apprentice Kaiya Turnell, and PFC Yun Genda, also of SAU."

Belaya closed her eyes. "What do you want with me? I'm a Padawan, I'm not privy to the secrets of the Jedi Council."

"We know," said Kaiya. "There's nothing useful we can torture out of you."

"Still," said Yun, "Sarna and I have had time to think about all the good men and women who just died on Dantooine."

"We've decided to do something about it," Sarna said, grabbing Belaya's shoulder roughly.

Kaiya smiled cruelly; she felt Yun moving too late. He jammed the injector into the apprentice's neck twice. Kaiya's eyes popped open and she gasped, then her eyes rolled back and she began to fall. Yun caught her and lowered the apprentice to the deck. He quickly began removing her grey bodysuit.

"Belaya, listen carefully," said Sarna urgently, "Yun and I have had a change of heart. We want to defect to the Republic."

Belaya frowned. "Why should I believe you butchers?"

Sarna rolled her eyes. "Belaya, you have nothing to lose, and we just attacked a Dark Jedi officer. We're all in the same boat now! If we stay, we'll be executed." She looked down. "Belaya, one of the militia… he was just a farm boy, and I killed him. His face, he was so young, and so scared…" She shook her head. "And then after we captured you, two other troopers in our unit killed thirty or more younglings right in front of us. We can't be a part of the Sith anymore." She went on to explain how Tash had manipulated them, and his plans to turn her into a brainwashed Jedi-hunting commando.

Belaya nodded slowly. "I've misjudged you, Sarna. You have a good heart." She pursed her lips. "But do you have a good plan? We're trapped aboard a Sith cruiser without resources."

Sarna twisted a lock of her red hair nervously. "The SAU is off-duty for the next ten days. Sith apprentices wear black hoods and masks, so you can hide your face. You're going to take Turnell's uniform and hide in her quarters."

"The overdose I hit Kaiya with should put her out for two or three days," said Yun. "This ship is headed to Manaan for shore leave. When we're in Selkath space, we can escape in Ahto City." Belaya nodded and began removing her prison jumpsuit.

"I've got your lightsaber here," said Sarna, handing it over. "Your robes are in a storage room near the detention block. We may have to leave them."

Belaya clipped her saber onto her belt. "Robes are just clothing, nothing special. Forget them." She covered her face and the three left Kaiya in the cell, unconscious.

* * *

 

The rest of the day was fraught with tension as the  _Leviathan_  approached Manaan. Sarna had apologized to Antur for putting the 'prisoner' into a coma; the major was mostly amused. They waited in Kaiya Turnell's private quarters, expecting to take a liberty shuttle to Manaan. Belaya was a pilot, so they could steal a ride if they really had to, but they all hoped it didn't come to that. Then, the situation changed for the worse. The cruiser shuddered as it dropped out of hyperspace. The three looked at each other. "Something's wrong," said Yun. "We can't be in the Pyrshak system yet."

The combat alert blared and the loudspeaker crackled. "All able members of the 322nd, assemble in Docking Bay 19. Hostile ship capture is underway." The three looked at each other and returned to the barracks to don their armor before heading to the docking bay. Sarna's heart sank; they stood no chance of escaping outside Selkath space.

Major Antur met them in the corridor outside the bay. "Sarna, I've been hoping to run into you. The Sith Embassy on Manaan was attacked last week. The Republic force included Shan and two men meeting the descriptions of Onat Cartin and Jace Kilraen. 'Onat' is actually Carth Onasi, a famous pilot from the Mandalorian Wars. Kilraen was seen using the Force; the man's a Jedi. Bandon went after them two days ago. He hasn't been heard from since; it appears that Shan killed him and his entire strike team. Admiral Karath managed to learn what ship they are traveling on, and we've just intercepted them. It's a small freighter, so they have no real chance of escape."

Sarna felt sudden hope. "We're to take the ship intact?"

Antur nodded. "The freighter has surrendered, but we need to be alert for tricks. Your squad is down to two, so I'll be having other troopers handle taking the crew into custody. Where is Kaiya, by the way?"

Sarna jerked her head in the direction of the turbolift. "She was hurt in a duel with a Jedi Master. She's in no condition to fight and is resting in her quarters. She assigned us Apprentice Belon here to team with."

Antur nodded. "You're in very good hands, Apprentice." He glanced at Belaya, whose mask and hood rendered her anonymous. "Keep your eyes open, in case they try something. I'm off to speak with the Admiral; I won't be in on the capture, more's the pity." The three conspirators ducked into a maintenance shop to talk.

"What in the worlds do we do now?" asked Yun.

Sarna shrugged. "We'll have to try and steal the freighter. Maybe we can free the crew and have them help us."

Belaya looked around the group. "Can we do anything for Bastila?"

Yun shook his head. "Malak wants her, so she'll be heavily guarded. The Admiral will have her watched closely."

Sarna shrugged. "We may have to play by ear. Let's get somewhere we can see the ship land." They headed into the docking bay and took up positions along the wall, at the edge of the crowd awaiting the freighter. The red and tan ship came in on the tractor beam and set down. The bay control officer ordered the crew out of the ship. A Cathar Jedi attempted to sneak out while cloaked, but was caught and stunned. Belaya inhaled sharply. The rest of the crew came out with their hands on top of their heads. They were disarmed and cuffed; Sarna recognized Jace and Carth. The ship was scanned and a boarding party entered to pull out another person hiding aboard. The troopers came down the ramp dragging a teenaged Twi'lek girl with blue skin. The girl seemed to have picked the wrong ship to stow away on; she was hauled away to the low-security section to be returned to Manaan. Belaya elbowed Sarna in the ribs; Sarna took the cue and the three left the hangar discreetly and returned to Kaiya's quarters.

"I know those people!" said Belaya urgently as soon as the door was shut. "Most of them came from Taris with Bastila. The old man and big droid I don't recognize, but the others…" Belaya relayed what she knew of the  _Ebon Hawk_ 's crew."I even recognize the Twi'lek-she's no stowaway. Her name's Mission Vao; she's a street kid from Taris. She helped Jace, Bastila and Carth escape."

Yun turned to Sarna. "The Cathar was a diversion. Mission is their escape plan."

Belaya nodded thoughtfully. "That crew is the size of a squad, and highly skilled. Juhani is a powerful Jedi Knight." She turned to Sarna. "If we can free them, we may have enough fighting strength to break out Bastila, Carth, and Jace."

Sarna thought a moment and grinned. "Better yet: we free them and let them start fighting their way out. Then we report the escape to Antur." Yun and Belaya looked shocked; Sarna pressed ahead. "Hear me out-Antur  _hates_  Bastila, she's killed many troops from the 322nd. There aren't all that many troops on this ship in fighting shape. If we play our cards right, Antur will try to hold off the rescuers himself, or kill Bastila before she can escape. We'll go with him, and he'll take us right to them."

There was complete silence for a moment. Yun let out a low whistle. "Sarna, you are  _devious_. I love it!"

Belaya nodded. "A sound plan. We should get to the detention block."

They headed down to the low-security area. Two Sith troopers were headed the other way. "That kid's a brat," one was saying. "The Captain should have let us really teach her a lesson."

The other shook his head. "She's just a child, man! Trust me, she's had the scare of her life as it is. She was grabbing on to Bixby and crying for mommy. I think she'll be quite well behaved when we send her home." The two Sith howled with laughter as they headed for the lift.

Sarna moved to the corner and peeked around. Mission was out of her cell, slipping a keycard into her pocket. The patrolling guard had his back to the young Twi'lek, and she came up behind him. Mission caught the Sith in a rear choke, bringing him to the ground. She snapped his neck and grabbed his sidearm. Sarna took a step toward the corner; Mission jerked upright and spun to face her.

"Don't shoot, Mission!" Sarna came out from behind the corner, hands up.

Mission aimed the blaster coolly. "How do you know my name, Sith?"

Sarna stood very still, turning to her companions. "Yun, Belaya, come out here-slowly."

The other two walked around the corner with their hands where Mission could see them. The teen slowly moved her blaster back and forth, covering all three.

Belaya slowly reached for her mask and revealed her face. "Do you remember me, Mission? We met while Jace was training."

The Twi'lek nodded slowly. "Belaya, right? What in Chaos are you doing here?"

Belaya began to lower her hands; Mission twitched the pistol and the Jedi raised them again. "These two captured me during the Sith assault on Dantooine. They've since decided to defect to the Republic. I recognized you, and we want to help you get the others out."

Mission's eyes narrowed. "Why should I trust you?"

Yun rolled his eyes. "Because if we are loyal Sith, you're screwed already."

"Well, there is that," muttered Mission. She lowered the blaster. "Do you have a plan?"

Sarna nodded. "First, we need to get your friends' equipment back…"

* * *

 

Mission and Belaya were able to easily subdue the Sith guarding the storage room where the crew's captured equipment was kept. Sarna, Yun and Belaya stood guard while Mission picked the lock. Once inside, they located the prisoners' belongings. Belaya smiled to see her robes again, though she wisely didn't put them on. Yun loaded the gear into an autonomous repulsor cart or 'mule droid.'

Mission grinned as she retrieved a stealth belt, vibroblade, and an enormous blaster pistol. "I'm ready here." The droid followed them back toward the main detention area. There were four guards at the entrance and two more watching from an upper-level shooting platform. Mission cloaked and slipped behind one pair of guards. Sarna and Yun took careful aim at the Sith on overwatch. Mission opened the fight, cutting one trooper's throat and shooting the other once in the head. Belaya threw her saber and cut down the second pair as Sarna and Yun dropped the two riflemen on high.

Mission began moving along the row of cells, releasing the members of her crew. They came out suspiciously, then Juhani shrieked. "Belaya, it is you! What in the worlds are you doing here, and dressed like a Sith apprentice?"

Mission and Belaya quickly introduced Sarna and Yun, who explained the situation. Canderous chuckled. "I wish I could see Jace's face when you bust him out."

Belaya re-covered her face. "That's our job. You must get to the freighter and secure it so that we can take off."

Mission cocked her head. "How will you get there and back with so few?"

Sarna looked down. "The defenders on Dantooine did a tremendous amount of damage to the regiment. There is less than a full battalion able to fight, and a handful of Dark Jedi. They will likely just try to hold you here until Darth Malak and Master Aramil return."

Juhani, Belaya and Jolee glanced at each other. "We've already felt a disturbance in the Force," said Juhani. "Malak knows we are here, and he's on his way."

Sarna blinked. "Belaya, let's pack up Jace, Carth, and Bastila's gear. We need to move! The rest of you, head to the capture hangar two levels down. The  _Ebon Hawk_  is in Docking Bay 19."

Canderous nodded. "We'll get the ship. Good luck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, now we're all caught up, as Deadpool would say. What do you think of Sarna's journey so far? Drop a review, or PM me and let me know!


	6. Leviathan Escape, part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own this. Pity.

* * *

Sarna, Yun and Belaya returned to the 322nd barracks area. They waited a few minutes, then the combat alert blared. Antur dashed out of his quarters, buckling on a gun belt. Sarna ran up to him, carbine at the ready. "Sarna, Yun, what the blazes is going on?" he asked.

Yun shook his head angrily. "We've been had. That Twi'lek girl was no stowaway. She got loose and freed the rest of Shan's crew. They're tearing up the lower decks as we speak."

Sarna grabbed Antur's upper arm. "Major, there are two Jedi loose down there! What do we do?"

Antur frowned. "The Admiral has a pair of Dark Jedi bodyguards. I'll send a platoon to hold the bridge, then we'll lock the ship down. The rest of the troops will go after the escaped prisoners." He looked down at his shaking hands. "If there are Jedi loose, we might not have the strength to stop them. We need to go and put Shan down."

Yun cocked his head. "I thought the Dark Lord wanted her alive?"

Antur shook his head. "He does, but we have her captured, and we can't risk her escaping. She's the only thing keeping the Republic in the war, and I'm not letting her get away." He looked back up at Sarna. "Come with me, before they can affect a rescue." He marched off towards the turbolifts.

Yun glanced at Sarna; she winked. They donned their helmets and followed. Antur took the lift up to a level occupied by the regimental intel shop: code-breakers, interrogators, and the like. The prisoners were in interrogation room one. Antur opened the door to reveal Jace, Carth, and Bastila in their underwear, locked in force cages. He walked up to them.

"You don't know me," Antur snarled at Bastila, "but I sure as hell know you, Jedi. You killed my regiment commander on Taris." He walked over to the console which controlled the cages and their shock emitters. "That worm-head brat of yours got loose-well played, by the way-and freed the rest of your crew. They are currently fighting their way up here." He twisted the dial all the way up. "You're not getting off this ship alive, Shan. If Malak can't have you, you'll die here and now."

Sarna stepped up behind the major. "No, Major Antur," she said firmly, "You won't be killing these people."

Antur spun and reached for his sidearm. "What?!" Sarna raised her carbine and shot Antur twice in the chest. He fell to the deck, dead. Belaya ignited her lightsaber and chopped through the console. The force fields dropped.

Bastila stepped out, cautiously. "Thank you for stopping him. To whom do we owe our gratitude?"

Sarna, Yun, and Belaya removed their helmets and masks; Jace's jaw dropped. Sarna hefted her carbine. "Yun and I are defecting-can you give us a lift?"

"Sarna! You, but how…" Jace's voice trailed off as he was too startled to speak. Carth just stood there, mouth flopping open and shut like a fish.

Sarna walked up to Jace. "Jace, it's a long story that we don't have time for. We want to leave the Sith, and your ship is our only way out!"

Carth snapped out of his daze. "Right." He leaned down to take the dead major's sidearm.

"No need," said Yun, "We've got your equipment with us."

Sarna stepped into the hallway and grabbed the bags with the prisoners' equipment. "Gear up; we'll cover the door."

Yun and Sarna put their helmets on and headed outside the door to keep watch while Belaya explained the situation. "Well, we've done it now," said Yun quietly. "There's no way we'll survive if we don't escape."

Sarna swallowed hard. "Yun, why are you coming along? I don't want you to walk into danger just because of me. If you don't want to be a part of this…"

"Are you  _kidding_?" Yun ripped his helmet off and glared at her. "Sarna, I was a cop. I joined the Sith because Revan fought to protect people while the Jedi and the Senate sat on their thumbs. I thought that's what the Sith stood for, and while we were clearing pirates out of the Rim, it felt pretty good to be with them. But I just watched a planet bombed to rubble and thirty children murdered in front of my face. At that point, there was no way I could stay." He shook his head. "I was afraid that I would have to leave you behind, because you wanted to stay with Tash."

"Good thing he was a bastard." Sarna laughed mirthlessly. "We can talk about 'us' later, Yun. For now, I want to help Belaya and Jace. I want to protect the galaxy from people like Brent and Tash. This is so much bigger than you and me."

Yun pursed his lips and nodded. "That's fair. Let's get off this barge."

Jace and the rest had donned their equipment; they came out of the interrogation room. Sarna led the way to the turbolifts. She called two lifts; the panel beeped and a red light flashed. "Frakk. The alarm has been raised. The bridge is on lockdown." She turned to Jace. "The bridge level is locked; there are durasteel shutters and force fields preventing access." She thought for a moment. "When we attacked Dantooine, the ship was hit with cannon fire from the surface. A section of the superstructure on the command deck and bridge was badly damaged. The crew has put up scaffolding in order to make repairs." She rubbed the back of her neck thoughtfully. "They were using a storage room in the regimental armory on the command deck as a makeshift airlock. You could grab spacesuits and climb the scaffolding, then enter the bridge level through another airlock."

Carth grinned. "I like it!"

Jace turned to Sarna. "Sarna, I…"

She held up a hand. "We'll talk later, Jace. We have to move!"

* * *

 

Sarna, Yun and Belaya covered their faces and boarded a lift headed down to the hangar deck. The doors slid open, and Sarna led the way toward the docking bay. Dead and wounded Sith littered the corridor, and the sounds of a pitched battle could be heard up ahead.

"All right, hold here," said Sarna. "We are about a hundred meters from the docking bay. Belaya, contact Juhani and make sure they know we are coming in. I don't want to be shot."

The Jedi nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. "The crew is blocked by a blast door; they are trying to cut through. The rest are holding off a group of Sith troopers."

Sarna turned to Yun. "Let's get as close as we can before the other troopers figure out what's what. We hit them from the back side."

Yun brought his rifle to shoulder. "Ready." The trio moved on, Belaya leading. They rounded a corner and saw the battle. Sith troopers were advancing against withering blaster fire, trying to find cover along the walls. The crew had partially closed one blast door to create solid cover. Canderous and T3 were sweeping the corridor with rapid fire. Mission, Zaalbar, and HK were aiming their shots carefully, picking off Sith in cover. Jolee and Juhani were slowly cutting through a sealed door, leaving trails of glowing metal around the edges. Nearly fifty Sith troopers were trying to overrun the defensive position, but the crew was doing a decent job of holding them off.

Sarna looked at the others. "I've got one grenade, then we hit them hard." She primed and threw the frag. The blast killed five troopers and wounded many more. The Sith realized much too late that they were under attack from behind. Belaya ignited her saber; the Sith defectors charged with bayonets and blaster fire. They tore into the back of the Sith group. Mission and Zaalbar drew blades and attacked from the front. The Sith broke; the survivors ran back toward the lift.

Belaya immediately moved to help cut the door; Sarna and Yun joined the others on the barricade. "We've got it!" grunted Juhani. Jolee lowered the melted durasteel to the deck.

Canderous nodded to himself. "Good. I don't want to try to hold off another assault here." T3 closed the other blast door behind them.

Mission moved invisibly to the docking bay door, returning after a quick look. "I count about forty troops with rifles and carbines, no Dark Jedi. The  _Ebon Hawk_ 's ramp is up, but T3 scrambled the ship control systems before we surrendered, so he should be able to open it easily."

Canderous' comlink crackled. "Jace to crew: update, please."

"We're stacked up outside the hangar now," the Mandalorian replied, "Sith are guarding the ship in platoon strength. Your defectors got to us okay. We're making our attack now." He turned and pointed to the Jedi. Juhani went first, with Belaya and Jolee close behind. They ran at the Sith troops, swatting blaster fire aside on the run. Canderous swung around the corner and began laying suppressive fire. Zaalbar dashed to the far side of the doorway and began slamming heavy bolts into the Sith defenders. Sarna and Yun moved into the docking bay, staying low until they reached a forklift they could use for cover.

HK-47 readied his rifle. "Statement: We must get T3 to the ship. Request: Follow me, squad mate Mission." He powered on a shield and stepped into the open. Mission followed, using the much larger droid for cover. They forced their way to a cargo container beyond the defectors' position. Zaalbar moved up to join them; the three fired into a group of Sith riflemen who were taking cover behind a cargo crane. T3 scooted out from the hallway and sprayed a billowing cloud of fire-suppressant mist to conceal his movements. The little droid disappeared into the cloud. In a moment, the crew heard the sound of the ramp dropping. The mist cleared to reveal the chin turret down and traversing to starboard. The heavy repeater began firing into the Sith soldiers from behind. Under heavy fire and with no cover to speak of, the Sith began running for the doors.

"We don't have much time," said Canderous urgently. "We need to get a defense set up  _now_. They will be back, soon, and with all their friends." The crew began constructing a fighting position. They used crates, machinery, anything solid enough to stop a blaster bolt. In the end, they were able to make a long, slightly curved barricade between the  _Hawk_ 's forward landing gear. The floor space in front of the ship was left empty, to give the Jedi room to fight. Canderous took a position at the right end of the line nearest the ramp, with Sarna and Yun next to him. HK held down the left flank with Mission and Zaalbar. T3 readied the freighter for takeoff and operated the chin turret. Unfortunately, the  _Ebon Hawk_ 's heavy cannon were much too powerful to be fired at targets in the docking bay.

Dozens of Sith came charging through the doors. HK and Yun began firing at long range, picking off Sith as they came in the door. Canderous and Zaalbar opened up as they got closer, aided by T3 on the chin turret. Mission and Sarna waited for targets to close to twenty meters before firing. The Jedi were mainly on the defensive, blocking incoming fire; they only engaged in melee combat if a Sith made it all the way to the barricades. The first wave was around a hundred troopers. The besieged crew repelled the attack without difficulty. The second charge was more than a full company, and included heavy troopers and grenadiers. The Jedi moved out into the open floor, carving a swath through the incoming soldiers. Sith drew vibroswords and moved in close; the Jedi held their own even outnumbered more than four to one.

There was a loud metallic clang, followed by a rumble. The durasteel shutters covering the docking bay opening began to move. The comm beeped again. "We have the bay doors open, Canderous," said Jace. "Status?"

"We've taken the hangar," said the Mandalorian. "We're holding off the Sith counterattack for now. Get here quick!" Jace acknowledged and ended the transmission. T3 screeched a warning from inside the  _Hawk_. A Sith transport hung in space outside the docking bay; shuttles were approaching with fighter escort.

Canderous turned to the crew. "Mission, Zaalbar, HK, get to the guns!" The three pulled off the line and ran into the freighter. The turrets swung around to face the sky and began firing. The fighters were quickly destroyed, but the shuttles continued to landings in other docking bays. More fighters swooped in, trying to fire into the bay.

Yun's arm shot out. "Look up there!" A fight was underway in the control room above the docking bay. Two figures wielding green and yellow lightsabers were briefly visible in the window.

Canderous grinned. "They're nearly here! Get inside, I'll cover you!" The Mandalorian ran up the ramp; he dropped prone at the top and steadied his repeater on its folding bipod. Sarna and Yun fell back, firing as they went. The Jedi began retreating toward the ramp when a crate whipped across the room and struck Jolee in the back. He was knocked to the ground but got up quickly. A second crate flew at them; Juhani kicked it aside. The Jedi turned to face their attackers. Master Aramil glared at them; he was backed by several apprentices. Next to him stood Kaiya Turnell; she had her saber out and was radiating an aura of dark hate.

Sarna and Yun ran back down the ramp to the hangar floor. Belaya held up a hand to stop them. "Stop there, you two."

Sarna shook her head. "This is our fight, Belaya."

Belaya frowned. "You'll be killed if you try to join this battle."

"They'll be killed anyway," snarled Kaiya, shaking with fury. "How dare you spit on the chance we gave you to redeem yourselves?"

Sarna shook her head. "I don't need your redemption. I should never have joined the Sith. You're a greater evil than any of the criminals and warlords I wanted to run out of the Rim. We're standing against you."

Jolee grunted. "Belaya, if they want to stand with us, let them. The choice is theirs to make."

The three Jedi all twitched simultaneously. Aramil laughed. "You felt it, didn't you? My lord Malak is facing Bastila as we speak. She will bow before him or die." An insane smile lit his face. "You are all doomed."

The Sith raised their scarlet blades and moved in, spreading out as they came. Yun fired, killing an apprentice who was too slow to deflect the bolt. The marksman grinned. "That SAU training is finally getting put to good use."

Belaya and Juhani rushed the apprentices. Jolee took on the Sith Master. Kaiya angled her saber and faced Sarna and Yun. The rage on her face was gone, replaced by a strange, hungry expression. Kaiya lunged forward, slashing from knee height up at Sarna's chest. Sarna blocked and forced the Sith back. Yun had an easy stab at Kaiya's back, but as he moved in for the kill, he was knocked flying by a Sith apprentice who Juhani had just slain.

Belaya and Juhani were dueling half a dozen Sith at once. Belaya was a rock in the middle of the floor, parrying attacks from all sides. The Cathar was moving so fast she seemed to be in two places at once. Belaya swept the legs of one Sith and kicked him into the air for Juhani to finish. Two more came in at Belaya, but her partner landed behind them. Both were forced to decide who to face; both chose wrong and died. More common troopers with blades tried to join the fight, but the fierce pair stood their ground at the doorway.

Master Aramil tried to attack them, but Jolee forced him away. The Sith Master swept in with his double-blade, trying to put Jolee on the defensive. The old Jedi stood and fought, blasting Aramil with a powerful Force Push. Aramil slammed into the  _Ebon Hawk's_  right wing, then leapt atop the ship. Jolee followed, but found himself at a disadvantage as the powerful Sith slashed down from the higher ground of the ship's center section. Jolee raised his saber crosswise to stop the overhand strikes. He circled, standing on top of the cockpit and pushing Aramil back towards the engines. The Sith Lord caught Jolee with a pull and swung for his neck. Jolee ducked to keep from losing his head and hit Aramil in the chin with a strong uppercut. The Sith staggered back and unleashed a torrent of lightning. Jolee caught the bolts and hurled them back at Aramil, who dove out of the way and rolled. It was a fatal mistake. The blast of electricity struck the docking bay force field, which flickered off for a moment. Aramil was regaining his feet as Jolee kicked him full-force in the chest. The Sith Master was hurled backwards through the open docking bay door and out into the black. The force field snapped back on and Aramil drifted away into the void between stars. The three Jedi shut down their lightsabers and encircled the fight between Kaiya and the defectors.

The senior apprentice's confidence was shaken. She had been unable to seize the initiative against the troopers she had trained. Now she looked around at the Jedi, and shifted to a defensive stance. Sarna lowered her carbine slightly. "It's over, Kaiya. Drop your lightsaber-there's no reason to continue this fight."

Kaiya spat. "Typical Republic talk! You place no value in pride. You'd rather live in chains than die free. Well, Malak is bringing real freedom to anyone strong enough to take it. I will fight until I crush all others and stand at his side, or I die."

She let out an unearthly shriek. All three Jedi clapped their hands to their ears and fell to the deck. Yun charged in and Kaiya parried his bayonet thrust. She snapped her arms up and down like scissors and shattered Yun's rifle. The Sith slashed at his face; Yun backpedaled and fell. Kaiya raised her saber to finish him off but Sarna slammed her gunstock into the Sith's shoulder.

Kaiya spun to see Sarna's bayonet leveled at her chest. The defector's face was twitching with anger. "You will not touch him, Sith!"

The apprentice smiled sweetly; on her face, the effect was terrifying. "I'm going to break you, then I'm going to cut your boyfriend in pieces while you watch."

Kaiya pulled Sarna in; the defector led with her bayonet. The Sith knocked the carbine aside and punched Sarna in the stomach. Sarna stumbled and barely got her carbine around fast enough to keep from being cut in half. She kicked Kaiya between the legs; Kaiya grunted and hit Sarna with a push. Sarna slid backwards but stayed on her feet. Kaiya pursued and forced Sarna's carbine down, then tried to strike upward at Sarna's throat. Sarna kicked Kaiya's saber arm, stopping the slash, then stepped in and rammed her bayonet home.

Kaiya's mouth opened and shut as the gasped for air. She coughed, and a dribble of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. The Sith looked down at the bayonet in her chest, then back up at Sarna's face. "But… you're only human," she wheezed. Sarna pulled the bayonet out and Kaiya Turnell fell to the deck, dead.

Yun was helping the Jedi to their feet. Jolee shook his head to clear it. "Let's get aboard. Jace and the others should be here soon."

They headed up the ramp. A handful of Sith troopers tried to make another assault, but the chin gun and Canderous' repeater drove them off.

An eerie peace lasted for about five minutes, then Jolee's head snapped up. "They're coming!"

Carth and Jace came through the door at a full sprint; there were Sith troopers not far behind.

"Oh, no…" breathed Juhani: Bastila was not with them.

"Cover them!" cried Canderous, opening up with his repeater. T3 joined in with the chin turret. The troopers were forced to cover; Jace and Carth pounded up the ramp as Canderous pulled the lever to raise it. Carth kept running all the way to the pilot's seat. Jace strapped in next to him, and Canderous dropped into the third seat. The  _Ebon Hawk_  lifted off the bay floor and pivoted in midair. Sith troopers with rocket launchers ran into the bay. T3 sprayed them with the chin turret. Sarna watched the holodisplay as Sith fighters pursued them. The freighter's guns fired at the swarm of interceptors as they closed the distance. They were doing quite well until several fighters maneuvered directly under the freighter's belly. Carth began a roll to bring Mission's turret to bear, but two fighters got through and raked the right wing with cannon fire.

The entire ship shook; Sarna saw a flash of red light in the starboard dormitory. She tapped Yun's shoulder and they raced in to find flames licking up from a power conduit beneath the floor. Yun grabbed an extinguisher from a wall bracket and tossed it to Sarna. She began fighting the fire as Yun opened the compartment's emergency wiring panel to shut off the current. He threw a switch, and the lights went out. Sarna got the flames out, and the ship made the jump to hyperspace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again with the boss battle. I feel like Sarna and Yun couldn't fight anything stronger than a Padawan or apprentice. I don't want to stretch plot armor too far.


	7. Korriban Subterfuge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic is awesome, and I wish I had ever made anything nearly as cool.

* * *

The crew assembled in the main hold to discuss their options. Bastila had been captured by Malak, and they didn't have the firepower to rescue her. The conversation took a shocking turn when Jace revealed that he was Darth Revan, captured and mind-wiped by the Jedi Council. Sarna shook her head in disbelief.  _If Revan himself can re-join the Republic, I have a chance for_ real _redemption_.

It didn't seem that easy; Carth, who appeared to be next in charge after Jace/Revan and Bastila, no longer trusted his commander. One by one, the crew spoke up in support of Jace. Sarna chimed in as well. "Things happen for a reason. If I hadn't met you, Yun and I would have died when Malak bombed Taris, or we'd still be Sith pawns. We're with you."

Jace smiled at the show of support and turned back to the pilot. "Well, Carth, will you stand with me against Malak?"

"Well, the others seem to trust you," Carth said slowly. "I really don't have any other choice but to trust you, do I?"

Jace nodded. "You have to try… for Bastila's sake."

Carth pursed his lips. "This must be even more of a shock to you… I don't know how you even keep going."

"How did you keep going, after Telos?" asked Jace.

Carth nodded. "I guess we both just have to find a way to push forward."

The crew drifted away to their stations. Sarna and Yun took the opportunity to rest. Sarna slept for more than half a day. She woke, stretched, and headed to the 'fresher, then walked out into the main hold. Several members of the crew were getting a meal, including Yun.

Jace looked up and smiled. "Hello, Sarna. Pull up a seat." She sat and took a cup of caf and a prepackaged meal plate. "As I've already told Yun, we owe you big-time. Thank you for your help."

Sarna shook her head. "I am glad to be here… and glad that you accept me after the things I've done. I look back, and I'm just sick."

Belaya reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Then don't look back, look forward. You're free now, and you're helping us stop the Sith."

Sarna looked down. "Thank you all." She glanced back up. "What happens now?"

"We're entering orbit over Korriban," said Jace. "The last Star Map is there."

Yun frowned. "Star Map?"

Jace looked at Carth, who shrugged. "Tell them. They're part of the crew."

Yun and Sarna listened as Jace detailed their mission. "So Bastila will likely be with the Star Forge, when we find it," said Jace, "and we need to plan our mission here."

The Sith planet appeared on the holodisplay. The crew spent the next few minutes planning their infiltration of the Sith Academy. When they had finished, Jace turned to Sarna. "You, Yun, and Belaya had better stay aboard ship while we're here. We don't want to risk you being spotted by anyone who was on Dantooine during the assault."

She nodded. "We'll lie low and keep the ship ready if you need us."

Jace raised a hand. "While I'm thinking about it, come here, HK."

The droid walked over. "Query: You called, master?"

Jace nodded. "Give me that rifle, and take this." He handed the assassin droid a light blaster cannon. "Yun, this is yours," said Jace. He handed the marksman his worn, well-used sniper rifle.

The Sith defector took his weapon back with shaking hands. His grandfather's initials were etched into the plasteel stock. Yun grinned. "How about that." He looked up at Jace. "Thank you, sir; I never thought I'd see it again."

* * *

Sarna, Yun and Belaya remained on board the ship while several of the others went on missions in the Sith Academy. About a week after their arrival, Jace went to the tomb of Naga Sadow alone for his final test in the Academy. Sarna and Carth were on watch several hours later when a Sith frigate entered orbit far above.

"Frakk," Sarna growled, looking at the sensor display. "That is the  _Warspite_ ; it was one of the ships in the task force at Dantooine." She looked up at Carth. "We may be recognized. We need to be ready to fly."

Carth nodded and sounded the alarm. The crew assembled in the main hold and he explained the situation. "What about Jace?" Juhani asked.

Canderous turned to Carth. "Davik kept sensor-shroud camouflage netting in the cargo hold. If we have to, we can conceal the ship in the mountains and come back for Jace."

T3 shrilled; HK translated. "Warning: Sith frigate is launching fighters and shuttles. Sensors show troopers moving on our position!"

Carth sprinted for the cockpit with Canderous and Jolee right behind. Blaster bolts from the troopers struck the ship, doing no real damage. The  _Hawk_ lifted off. The turrets opened up on the incoming shuttles.

"Cease fire!" cried Canderous. "Shut down the guns. No weapons fire, no sensor pings, nothing at all, understand? We need to shake them and hide in the hills."

The freighter accelerated away from the Academy hangar with a pair of fighters in hot pursuit. Carth twisted the ship through a mountain pass. The fighter pilots could not make the turn in time. They climbed up above the ridge and scanned the ground below, looking for the  _Hawk_. Carth stayed low, hiding in the ground clutter. Jolee searched a topographical map and found a deep canyon. Carth brought the ship to a landing.

T3 took the droid lift to the freighter's topside as the crew raced outside, carrying the bundle of netting. Yun threw a weighted line to the astromech, who raced to the far side of the ship to lower it. Yun repeated the process, and the crew hauled the cloth over the ship. They quickly staked the net down. Carth hiked several kilometers away from the ship: if he had to contact Jace on the comlink, Sith direction-finding would not locate the freighter. Hours passed. Sith fighters crisscrossed the area, trying to find the ship. The sensor shroud worked well. The fighters overflew them several times without spotting them.

Shortly after noon, Carth's comlink beeped. " _Ebon Hawk_ , this is Dustil Onasi, does anyone read?"

Carth thumbed his comlink. "Dustil, it's your father. What's going on?"

"Father, the Sith know Jace is in the Valley," said Dustil anxiously. "They are moving down from the Academy to cut off his escape, but there is another exit from the Valley. I'm headed there now to get him out. I've been in contact with a group of Sith who Jace convinced to defect. I'm meeting them at the exit in the  _Shifting Shadow_  with Dak and the droid. We'll get them out. Stand by in case I need help."

Carth acknowledged and ran for the ship. The crew had been listening in and the  _Hawk_  was uncovered and ready to fly. The minutes dragged by like days, then the comm crackled. " _Shadow_ to  _Ebon Hawk_ , do you copy?" The crew relaxed as one to hear Jace's voice.

Canderous grinned. "Loud and clear. This is getting way too interesting."

"Are you all accounted for over there?" asked Jace. "If so, take off, I've got a ride."

"If you say so," said Canderous.

"One more thing," said Jace, "Don't shoot the Sith picket ship climbing out of the Valley. Dustil kind of stole the Master's personal ship." Carth looked at Jolee and laughed.

"Where are we headed?" asked Canderous.

"Manaan," replied Jace, "but don't go direct. We don't want to get intercepted again." Jolee began work on jump coordinates. Sarna watched the larger Sith picket join them in formation. They climbed out of the atmosphere and jumped to hyperspace.

Carth sat back in the pilot's seat. "All right, crew, we'll be making a series of short jumps to lose any pursuit, then taking a long flight to Manaan. We'll repair and resupply at the Republic Embassy, then head to the Star Forge." He left the cockpit; T3 took over the helm.

Carth walked into the main hold. "Belaya, Sarna, Yun, I need to speak with you." The three walked over. Carth clasped his hands together. "When we arrive on Manaan, you will be leaving this ship."

Sarna opened and closed her mouth several times while she tried to deal with her dismay; she saw that Yun and Belaya were similarly shocked. "But, sir, we wanted to come with you, we want to help! Haven't we earned that?"

Carth nodded. "You probably have, but Republic Intelligence will want to debrief you. Jace convinced four Sith Apprentices to defect; they were in the picket ship. I will lobby Fleet Command to allow you all to join the strike fleet in the  _Shifting Shadow_."

Sarna relaxed and smiled. "So we all get our fresh start together. I'd like that." Yun nodded.

Carth dropped his hands to his sides. "Good. We can relax for now-we're about two days from Manaan." He turned and headed for the port dormitory.

Sarna took Yun's hand. "We should talk." She turned to Carth. "Is there anywhere we can speak alone?"

Carth nodded. "Comm room, just behind the cockpit." He pointed the way, and the defectors headed for the corridor.

Sarna closed the door to the comm room and sat in one of the chairs, folding her hands in her lap. "So… us. Yun, I'm just not sure. I know how you feel, but I've been through so much since Taris."

"I get it, Sarna, I do." Yun dropped into the other chair. "You loved Tash, and he betrayed you as cruelly as anyone ever could. It's hard to trust, to get close to anyone after that."

"But I trust  _you_ , Yun." Sarna wrung her hands. "I depend on you. As a fellow soldier, as a friend, maybe more, I don't know. And I'm afraid of our relationship turning romantic. I'm afraid it'll go nowhere, I'm afraid it'll go  _somewhere_ …" She sighed. "Does any of that make sense?"

Yun took a deep breath, sighed it out, and nodded. "I understand."

Sarna bit her lip. "Look… if we make it through this, I'm willing to give it a shot. We stop Malak, I'll save you a dance at the victory party."

Yun smiled faintly. "I guess we're not quite ready for happily ever after, then?"

Sarna smiled, then a shadow crossed her features. "Not yet. The story isn't over; we still have a war to win."

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is definitely not over. If you've read Second Chances as well, you know about the other defectors and the Shifting Shadow, and have probably guessed that another party is forming. Time for a choice point: The next two sections of this epic can be read in either order, even though one is marked part III and one is part IV. That's the order I wrote them in.
> 
> Also, thank you for reading, if you're following the saga. How did you like my little side story? Leave a review and let me know!


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